Masdar Calls upon World Leaders to Pledge Support for Women Tackling Climate Change

By: WE STAFF | Monday, 31 October 2022

Masdar's Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform today launched a global campaign, I Am WiSER, to raise support for women at the forefront of efforts to tackle climate change and encourage world leaders to press forward with initiatives to build a more inclusive and sustainable future. 

The campaign urges policymakers, heads of industry, and individuals to take the #IAmWiSER pledge to champion women as agents of sustainable change, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 5 and 7, which aim to "achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls," and "ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all," respectively.

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, one of the world's leading renewable energy companies, said, "Masdar has long recognized the pivotal role women must play in building a sustainable future. Through #IAmWiSER, we are proud to invite our partners around the world to join us in ensuring women have an equal voice in our collective clean energy transition."

DrLamyaFawwaz, Masdar Executive Director of Brand and Strategic Initiatives, and WiSER Program Director, said: "WiSER recognizes, inspires and empowers women to become leaders and change agents in driving sustainable development for all. The "#IAmWiSER campaign will enable us to reach a broader audience and provide a clear call for action for women and those who support them around the world. We look forward to translating these pledges from policymakers, thought leaders, business experts and engaged individuals around the world into concrete progress."

Globally, women and girls experience the greatest impacts of climate change, which amplifies existing gender inequalities and poses unique threats to their livelihoods, health, and safety, according to UN Women.

The #IAmWiSER campaign has been endorsed by five notable women who are today advancing the sustainability agenda on the global stage, including H.E. Mariam Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment; H.E. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent UAE Representative to the UN; DamilolaOgunbiyi, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for SEforALL, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy; Peggy Choi, Founder and CEO of global knowledge-sharing platform, Lynk; and Alexandra Palt, Executive Vice-President Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer of L'Oréal and Executive Vice-President of the FondationL'Oréal. 

Commenting on the campaign, Palt said: "#IAmWiSER is about celebrating the achievements of women who have worked tirelessly to build a more sustainable future for their communities and our planet. It is also, just as importantly, about inspiring and empowering future generations to follow in their footsteps. Because women are an extremely powerful engine of change and key to social and ecological progress."

Interested participants are invited to visit Masdar's website to take the #IAmWiser pledge: "I am committed to championing women as agents of sustainable change." Signatories will then be prompted to publicize their commitment and encourage others to take the pledge via an auto-generated link for sharing on social media.

At the 27^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC COP 27) in Egypt this November, WiSER will host delegates at its booth in the UAE Pavilion and invite them to take the #IAmWiser pledge.

As host of COP 28 next year, the UAE has set ambitious targets to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, making it the first Middle Eastern country to do so.