The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has made history by becoming the first institution in the MENA region to receive the prestigious United Nations Small Island Developing States Partnerships Award. This accolade, awarded on behalf of the UAE, recognised the UAE’s top position in the economic category due to ADFD’s groundbreaking initiatives – the UAE Pacific Partnership Fund and the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund.
Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, accepted the award during the Annual Global Multi-Stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue in New York. This significant event occurred alongside the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, underscoring its importance.
ADFD’s Strategic Partnerships in Renewable Energy Transition
ADFD’s initiatives were nominated through submissions and backed by a substantial allocation of $100M. These initiatives represent strategic partnerships between the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), ADFD, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), a university, and 26 governments from Small Island Developing States. These collaborations have been pivotal in accelerating the transition to renewable energy, reducing fossil fuel reliance, enhancing energy security, and expanding climate action in the Caribbean and Pacific regions, leading to considerable economic development.
This collaborative effort has focused on advancing solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects in SIDS. It has driven innovation, created employment opportunities, promoted gender equality, and strengthened climate resilience, significantly impacting the affected regions.
Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi highlighted the UAE’s legacy of sustainable development
Al Suwaidi stated: “Under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, ADFD is dedicated to supporting the UAE’s mission to mitigate the effects of climate change by promoting clean energy in Small Island Developing States and worldwide.”
He added: “International cooperation is fundamental to our mission to achieve global energy and sustainable development goals. We are thankful to all contributors for the recognition we have received in this field. We reaffirm our commitment to support the island states on their journey towards a sustainable and resilient energy future.”
One of the major projects financed by ADFD is the $5.4M wind farm in Samoa. This unique farm features cyclone-proof turbines, providing uninterrupted energy to 75 percent of the country’s population. The project notably saves 183,000 litres of diesel each year, thereby helping the country reduce its carbon footprint by 506 tonnes.
It supports the nation’s goal to produce 86 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030. The plant also enables the country to reduce annual diesel consumption by 406,000 litres and cut carbon dioxide emissions by over 1 million kilograms.
The 600 kW solar power plant in the Marshall Islands, built on a reservoir near the capital Majuro, increases the water storage capacity of the artificial lake by more than 20 percent. The project saves 236,000 litres of diesel annually and reduces annual CO2 emissions by 652 tonnes.
Similar renewable energy projects in Nauru, Solomon Island, Micronesia, Kiribati, Fiji, Tuvalu, and Tonga have delivered equivalent environmental and economic benefits.
These awards recognise and reward the efforts of the best and most notable, genuine, and durable partnerships in the implementation of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA Pathway).
The Awards offer an opportunity to reward the most successful SIDS partnerships, showcase best practices, increase the visibility of the SIDS Partnership Framework, encourage the creation of new SIDS partnerships, and incentivise the registration of new partnerships for SIDS.
