The four-day Abu Dhabi International Progressive Energy Congress (ADIPEC) taking place in Abu Dhabi, is focusing on energy decarbonization – and how to achieve it at a faster pace. 

Masdar, also known as the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, is attending the event hosted by The United Arab Emirates government and billed as the world's largest energy exhibition and conference.

Established in 2006, Masdar is the leading UAE expert in the global energy sector. Over the past decade the firm - currently doing business in more than 40 countries - has invested $30 billion globally in renewable projects. 

Abdulaziz Alobaidli, Masdar's Chief Operating Officer, supervises the company's renewable energy projects and its engineering, supply chain and energy services. He told CGTN: "We partner with governments and local companies, and develop renewable energy projects that support nations…in decarbonizing their footprint."

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Planning large power plants and new renewable energy projects can be an issue in some countries and Alobaidli says some major changes are needed in policy making.

"Renewable energy has proven to be a key element in the energy value chain as a successful contributor to energy mix in any nation or utility system," he said. "Most importantly, it's a way of securing energy supply. Everyone has access to sun, everyone has access to wind."

Alobaidli believes innovation is key and cites dozens of projects Masdar has set up in collaboration with its partners. But he insists that not enough work is being done in the area of decarbonization, arguing that there remain gaps in governance and implementation.

"We need….to fill that gap towards really ensuring a climate sustainable economy, as well as mitigating climate change," he said. "The global issue cannot be solved by localized policies, so we need more collaboration from the world to enhance our mitigation of climate change."

Alobaidli says limiting carbon emissions is not just good for the planet, but for business too. He said: "The willingness we've seen to support the energy transition, to limit the carbon emissions, to deploy more renewables…is really music to our ears because it means we can deploy further projects. We can invest more in renewable energies across the globe."

Masdar aims to increase its projects fivefold in the coming year. By 2030 the company wants to be able to provide 100 gigawatts of energy. That ambition effectively means bringing 200 megawatt of power online each year.

ADIPEC 2023 is attempting to rally industries and diverse actors under the slogan 'Decarbonizing. Faster. Together.' It's gathered together over 160,000 attendees from 160 countries, with more than 40 government ministers and hundreds of business people contributing to 350-plus conference sessions.

Interview conducted by CGTN's Iolo ap Dafydd

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