Syeda Shehr Bano
Masdar City, a ground-breaking sustainable urban community in Abu Dhabi, and Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology infrastructure, have joined forces through a Memorandum of Understanding that will help power the UAE’s journey to net zero.
Transitioning to a net-zero world is one of the greatest challenges humankind has faced as it calls for a complete transformation of how we produce, consume, and move about. In order to avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a livable planet, global temperature increase needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Currently, the Earth is already about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and emissions continue to rise. To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C – as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
The Huawei-Masdar City agreement, signed on October 17 at GITEX GLOBAL 2023, will lead to knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in net zero development, help reduce the carbon footprint of Masdar City’s information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, and promote the adoption of carbon-conscious ICT through Huawei’s Net Zero Campus Framework. The framework, released earlier this year, is designed to help organizations reduce the energy demand of ICT systems and operations while switching to clean energy.
aHuawei is home to several low-carbon campuses and is creating new technologies to support sustainability as one of their strategic priorities.
“Masdar City already develops the most high-performing, energy-efficient buildings in the region,” said Mohamed Al Breiki, Masdar City’s executive director of sustainable real estate. “Optimizing ICT systems is a vital step in reducing our energy demand even further and cutting tech-related carbon emissions. This is yet another way for us to help lead the way for other cities who want to chart a course to net-zero.”
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Masdar City to accelerate the UAE’s journey to net zero,” said Safder Nazir, Senior Vice President, Public Sector, Huawei Middle East and Central Asia. “Through this MOU, we aim to empower knowledge-sharing, promote the drive toward carbon-conscious ICT to reduce tech-related carbon emissions, and promote Huawei’s Net Zero Campus Framework. We recognize that technological innovation plays a crucial role in sustainable development, and this collaboration with Masdar City will set a benchmark for the cities and campuses of the future.”
In addition to optimizing existing ICT systems at Masdar City, Huawei will advise on Masdar City’s upcoming Command and Control Center, which will feed data related to energy, water, and waste management in all Masdar City-owned buildings to a central location. This will allow facilities managers to monitor and improve building performance in real-time.
Masdar City will look for opportunities to amplify Huawei’s Net Zero Campus Framework, launched earlier this year to support organizations that wish to decarbonize. The Huawei Net Zero Campus Framework recommends a stepwise approach towards a net zero campus. This could begin with addressing campus operations, along with net-zero energy development.
A smart campus solution supports a collaborative work environment, while a net zero energy campus implements key energy initiatives such as reducing energy consumption, generating energy onsite, and actively managing energy consumption and energy trading. The net zero-carbon campus strives for a net zero balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it.
Al Breiki signed the MOU on behalf of Masdar City, while Nazir signed the agreement for Huawei.
“We have always known that technological innovation helps drive sustainable development,” said Al Breiki. “This new partnership will be a powerful enabler for decarbonization. We look forward to setting an even higher benchmark for how cities of the future will operate.”