World Future Energy Summit

The fourth annual WFES in Abu Dhabi took place this past week.  It is a ‘forum that promotes collaboration, innovation and investment opportunities in renewable energy, environment and clean technology’ (arab news).  Each year it gets bigger and more impressive, attracting countries from all over the world who want to share their products.  The WFES is a way for countries and large companies to showcase their technologies and their services in order to network on a global scale.  Delegates from all over the world tour the exhibits, influencing them to report the back to their heads of state on the future of energy sources.  As the WFES becomes an ever popular event, it begins attracting organizations that also focus on sustainability through green technology, such as self-powered monorail systems and biodiversity groups.  Since the main focus is Green Energy, the majority of exhibitors display their ground breaking technologies.  By introducing them at a global showcase, countries are able to increase outside revenue and create jobs thus boosting their economies.  One of the messages put forth by Ban Ki-Moon and the PM from Portugal was the necessity to increase green energy companies for two reasons: first, competition is good and drives innovation; and second, green technology is the future, it is the energy source of the future, it is the revenue source of the future, it will help economies and provide people with work.

‘Investing in the green economy is not simply a luxury of the developed world.  It represents an opportunity for job creation and economic growth in developing countries, and prosperity for all’ 

                                                                                                                 –Ban Ki-Moon

I went in looking for specific technologies that were applicable to an ecotourism project I was working on.  I not only found many perfect technologies for isolated, off the grid sites, but I was blown away by the technologies available in general.  The President of MIT addressed the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) and made a hopeful claim; our generation is going to be the one to take global interests, like fast cars and low costing products, and incorporate green technologies into not only our needs, but also our luxuries.  It is an exciting time to get involved in Green Technologies and the time is right, soon there will be frenzy!

‘The World Future Energy Summit…provides a platform for global cooperation in renewable energy and sustainability…Climate Change is one of the defining challenges of our time’ –Ban Ki-Moon

I’ve put a link to his entire speech under ‘links to the UAE’