Latest news with #AbuDhabiSustainableBusinessLeadershipForum2025
Al Etihad
16-04-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi taps power of AI to lead sustainable future
17 Apr 2025 01:12 MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)Abu Dhabi is harnessing artificial intelligence to drive sustainability, with AI-led projects slashing costs and boosting efficiency, according to Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD).'We stand at a pivotal moment where climate and biodiversity challenges demand innovative action. The air we breathe, our Arabian Gulf waters, and our delicate desert ecosystems require immediate attention,' she said during the ninth Abu Dhabi Sustainable Business Leadership Forum 2025, which kicked off on year's edition is held under the theme 'Collaboration for Impact: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Business Practices'. The forum brings together business leaders, technology experts, and sustainability advocates to explore how AI can be responsibly applied to accelerate environmental Abu Dhabi's leadership in the field, Dr. Al Dhaheri cited a number of AI-powered initiatives, including an EAD-led habitat assessment project that mapped 11,000 hectares with 90% cost savings, and the use of AI robotics in mangrove restoration under the Nabat partnership.'Across our emirate, AI optimises water, enhances biodiversity monitoring, and improves waste management,' she noted. Dr. Al Dhaheri also pointed to Masdar City's NZ1 project — the capital's first net-zero energy office building — as a model of AI-driven sustainable construction, producing 102% of its annual energy needs and reducing energy use by 101% compared to international insights show AI could inject $15.7 trillion into the economy by 2030, with sustainability central, Dr. Al Dhaheri noted. 'For Abu Dhabi, AI drives our 22% carbon reduction goal by 2027, aligning with UAE Net Zero 2050.'The forum featured in-depth discussions on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable business leadership in the era of emerging technologies, the growing influence of the impact economy, and the vital role of multi-stakeholder engagement in advancing sustainable practices. Collective Approach Collaboration is key to unlocking AI's full potential and navigating its challenges, according to Al Dhaheri. 'The true power of AI is collective,' she said. 'Imagine AI predicting storm surges and intelligently managing water. Over these two days, we'll explore AI in energy, resources, and climate adaptation, while addressing ethical considerations. The challenges we face are too complex for any single entity to tackle alone. We must form strong alliances across government departments, industry sectors, and beyond our borders.'Huda Al Houqani, Director of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG), agreed that real progress happens when businesses, governments, and innovators work together. 'By sharing knowledge, aligning goals, and co-developing solutions, we ensure AI is used responsibly, inclusively, and effectively,' Al Houqani told Aletihad . 'This collective approach drives greater impact, accelerates innovation, and supports the transition to a more sustainable, tech-enabled future,' she added. The ADSG supports its members through workshops, knowledge-sharing, and cross-sector collaboration to ensure AI adoption is ethical, inclusive, and aligned with sustainability goals, delivering tangible impact across climate action, circularity, and social responsibility.
Al Etihad
16-04-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
TAQA spotlights how AI boosts efficiency, slash emissions across energy networks
17 Apr 2025 01:17 MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)Artificial intelligence is emerging as a game-changer in the global energy transition, enabling smarter, cleaner, and more efficient systems, said Noel Aoun, Chief Strategy Officer at TAQA, during the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Business Leadership Forum 2025 on Wednesday.'We find ourselves at the technological inflection point, one that is rapidly reshaping industries, societies, and economic development,' Aoun said. 'How we harness innovation today will define the sustainability and resilience of tomorrow.'Aoun highlighted the central role of AI and digitisation in TAQA's transformation from a traditional utility to an integrated power and water solutions provider. AI, he noted, is already enhancing operations across the company — from predicting maintenance needs and optimising electricity distribution to improving water efficiency and climate risk modeling.'When used efficiently, AI can help us anticipate problems before they occur and optimise operations in real time. This allows us to increase efficiency, save money, and most importantly, reduce carbon emissions across our energy networks,' he said. 'Our digital and AI strategy is enabled to allow us to unlock the full power of advanced technologies, such as data analytics, automation, process optimisation, improving decision-making, and most importantly, delivering enhanced customer solutions.'TAQA is also exploring AI's potential across the full energy and water value chain, including wastewater management and grid integration. Managing AI's Environmental Footprint But Aoun cautioned that AI's own environmental footprint — particularly from energy-and water-intensive data centres — must be managed responsibly. This is an area where TAQA's end-to-end oversight provides a strategic added that partnerships are essential to fully unlock AI's potential. 'No single company, industry, or government can tackle those challenges that we are facing today. It is only through working together across sectors, across borders, that we can achieve our shared vision of a sustainable future,' he Abu Dhabi Sustainable Business Leadership Forum 2025, held under the theme 'Collaboration for Impact: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Business Practices,' offers a platform for such collaboration, according to Aoun.'Around 35% of the emission reduction needed to reach net zero by 2050 rely on technologies that are not yet proven at the commercial scale,' Aoun noted, citing figures by the International Energy Agency. 'This means that technological innovation alone is not enough. We need enabling policies. We need frameworks. We need regulatory clarity. We need the right financial models. We need the right public trust to turn all those innovation ideas into reality,' he added. Fortunately, significant progress is being made. Aoun pointed to landmark projects aligned with UAE's Net Zero 2050 goals, including a new gas plant and smart grid infrastructure developed in partnership with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), and Masdar's recently announced giga project — the world's first utility-scale, round-the-clock solar PV and battery system. Once completed, the project will provide up to one gigawatt of continuous, round-the-clock renewable energy, according to Aoun.
