The UAE Ministry of Education plans to introduce training initiatives around low-carbon forms of energy into its national education system.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the minister of education of the UAE and Francesco La Camera, the director-general of IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) at the 17th IRENA Council held in Abu Dhabi recently.

The agreement identifies areas of cooperation on the integration of renewable energy and sustainable development. The cooperation aims to promote and support the achievement of the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UAE and across the world, namely SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy for all) and SDG 13 (climate action).

In a press release, IRENA underlined how renewable energy is a critical contributor to a number of U.N’s 2030 sustainable development goals.

According to Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s minister of climate change and environment, 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.”

Meanwhile, Francesco La Camera, director -general of IRENA, said, “It is critically important that we engage young people in the pursuit of sustainable development and climate action.”

It is worth mentioning here that the Middle East is emerging as one of the largest renewable energy markets worldwide. Last year, Mercom reported that UAE launched the fourth phase of the world’s largest concentrated solar power project. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the UAE is set to become the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer model.

After the UAE, Saudi Arabia is another key player in the region. The largest sovereign state in the Middle East, the country has set a target to produce approximately 10% of its power from renewable sources in the next six years.

Further, in a recent report released by IRENA, the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies has helped generate 11 million employment opportunities in the global renewable energy industry in 2018.

Image credit: IRENA