ABU DHABI, 14 January 2008 — The WWF and Masdar, The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, yesterday launched a “Sustainability Action Plan” to deliver the world’s greenest city — Masdar City.
Masdar City will be the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city, aiming to exceed the 10 sustainability principles of “One Planet Living — a global initiative launched by the WWF (known internationally as the Worldwide Fund for Nature and in the US as the World Wildlife Fund) and environmental consultancy BioRegional.
Housed in six-square kilometers, Masdar City’s electricity will be generated by photovoltaic panels, while cooling will be provided via concentrated solar power. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant. Landscaping within the city and crops grown outside the city will be irrigated with grey water and treated waste water produced by the city’s water treatment plant.
The city is part of the Masdar Initiative, Abu Dhabi’s multifaceted investment in the exploration, development and commercialization of future energy sources and clean technology solutions. The city, growing eventually to 1,500 businesses and 50,000 residents, will be home to international business and top minds in the field of sustainable and alternative energy
A model of the Masdar City will be unveiled on Jan. 21 at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. Groundbreaking for the construction of the city is slated in the first quarter of 2008.
Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, director of WWF International’s One Planet Living initiative, said: ”Today Abu Dhabi is embarking on a journey to become the global capital of the renewable energy revolution. Abu Dhabi is the first hydrocarbon-producing nation to have taken such a significant step toward sustainable living.
“Masdar is an example of the paradigm shift that is needed. The strategic vision of the Abu Dhabi government is a case study in global leadership. We hope that Masdar City will prove that sustainable living can be affordable and attractive in all aspects of human living — from businesses and manufacturing facilities to universities and private homes,” Jeanreneaud said.
The One Planet Living program is based on 10 unique principles of sustainability. Masdar City will meet and exceed each of these. Masdar City will be completed and fully functioning in 2015.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company (ADNEC), Turret Middle East and event sponsor Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, are working around the clock to prepare for the inaugural World Future Energy Summit (WFES) on Jan. 21–23, which is set to attract more than 5,000 attendees.
Plans are being put in place to manage the extraordinary delegate list, which includes presidents, royalty and high ranking government officials from more than 25 nations including the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, the Maldives in addition to sheikhs, VIPs and high-ranking government officials from the UAE.