Maria Lee,Assistant Director and Regional Coordinator for Europe, joined the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week on 15-19 January. This global forum brings together leaders, policy makers and investors to address the challenges of renewable energy and sustainable development. On the 17th of January, the Masdar WiSER (Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy) Initiative organized a special session to explore how women can be leaders of sustainable solutions.
Jamila Bargach, Executive Director of the NGO Dar Si Hmad, one of the winners of the UNFCCC Women for Results Award was part of one the panel discussions. She talked about the fog-harvesting project that has changed the life of rural women and girls in the Southwestern region of Morocco and mentioned the W+ Standard as an innovative instrument to measure impact on women’s empowerment.
This week was an opportunity to network with organizations such as the Dubai Carbon Center of Excellence, a ‘Private Joint Stock Company’ established to capture a growing niche market, catering specifically for the transition to a low-carbon and green economy. Maria Lee met with Thomas Bosse, Head of Programmes and Suraiya Tasnim, Senior Project Officer and discussed opportunities to promote the W+ Standard in this region.