The UAE
Ministry of Education and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) today
signed an agreement to cooperate on the integration of renewable energy and
sustainable development into the national education system. The Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed by His Excellency Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi,
the U.A.E. Minister of Education and Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director-General
of IRENA at the 17th IRENA Council in Abu Dhabi.
The
agreement, signed in the presence of Her Excellency Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al
Shamsi, Assistant Under-Secretary of Activities and Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, the
UAE Permanent Representative to IRENA, identifies areas of cooperation between
the Agency and the Ministry of Education to introduce training initiatives around
low-carbon forms of energy into federal education. The cooperation aims to
promote and support the achievement of the relevant Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) in the UAE and around the world, namely SDG 7 (affordable and
clean energy for all) and SDG 13 (climate action).
“We
are delighted to form this partnership with IRENA, which serves as a blueprint
for the integration of sustainable development into national education systems
around the world. This agreement supports the UAE’s 2030 agenda for sustainabledevelopment,” said H.E. Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi.
H.E. Al Hammadi also confirmed that this memorandum reflects the interest
of both parties in promoting the concept of sustainable development, making it
part of the educational system, and devoting best educational practices in this
area in order to achieve the UAE Agenda and its future objectives with regard
to sustainable development. “The
Ministry of Education is determined to build a comprehensive and integrated
educational system that contributes to the development of the cognitive aspects
of students in various fields with renewable energy and sustainability at the
forefront of this agenda,” he concluded.
“It
is critically important that we engage young people in the pursuit of
sustainable development and climate action,” said Director-General Francesco La
Camera. “The UAE has demonstrated its commitment to playing a leading role in
the global energy transformation, and to adopting a sustainable development
model. Working with the Ministry of Education, we aim to
inspire youth to support the action agenda and develop a model of collaboration
that can be replicated in countries all over the world.”
His
Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and
Environment, said: “Youth development is a high priority for the UAE’s
visionary leadership and stems from its conviction that when we invest in our
youth, we invest in our future. The new partnership between the Ministry of
Education and IRENA is indeed a promising one. Incorporating renewable energy
and sustainable development into the educational curricula will not only enable
us to harness young minds and prepare them to become environmental stewards,
but also pique their interest in pursuing careers in the emerging domains.”
Renewable
energy is a key solution to climate change and an enabler of universal energy
access, however, it is also a critical contributor to a number of UN’s 2030
SDGs. Good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), Quality education (SDG 4) and
Sustainable economic growth (SDG 8) represent a few of the goals served by the
increasing use of renewable energy.
About the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
IRENA is the global intergovernmental organisation that supports
countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the
principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, and
a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on
renewable energy. With 160 Members (159 States and the European Union) and 23
additional countries in the accession process and actively engaged, IRENA
promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable
energy including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind
energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy
security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.
Contact information:
Saba Ahmad Al Delfi, Acting, Chief Communications Officer, IRENA, saldelfi@irena.org; +971 2 417
9009
Stay in touch with IRENA at www.twitter.com/irena and www.facebook.com/irena.org
About
the UAE Ministry of Education
The
Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates supports the country's vision
and strategy in promoting a culture of creativity and innovation through
providing both public education and higher education students with the
twenty-first century skills to keep pace with global developments, progress of
education, and leading it to new horizons. With laying the foundations of the
UAE’s Union, the UAE Founding Father H. H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
(may God have mercy upon him) and his fellows (Rulers of the Emirates) saw
education as the foundation to build a society capable of keeping pace with the
global progress. Over the past decades, the interest of the leadership focused
on building an educational system comparable to those in leading developed
countries and investing all resources to achieve its goals. To achieve their
visions, the UAE’s wise leadership has accelerated the development of education
and adopted the best educational systems to achieve high-quality educational
outcomes.
Contact information:
Mr Jonathan Michael Sadlier,
Specialist, Office of the Assistant Undersecretary of the Activities Sector, Ministry
of Education, Jonathan.Sadlier@moe.gov.ae, +971 4
2176216
02/07/2019
