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· Organisers plan to deliver a sustainable Expo from delivery to legacy
· Sustainability Pavilion again takes centre stage at Expo’s ADSW stand
· Competition, aimed at leaving lasting legacy in UAE, will be launched
DUBAI – Expo 2020 Dubai will be unveiling further details of its plans to stage a sustainable World Expo from delivery to legacy at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) at ADNEC, Abu Dhabi next week (13-20 January).
Sustainability is a key subtheme of the first World Expo to be staged in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) and organisers hope that its influence will lead to changes not only in the UAE, but in the region and around the world.
A key part of Expo’s stand will be a detailed model of its iconic Sustainability Pavilion, that was unveiled at the ADSW last year.
It is designed to be one of the most self-sustaining buildings in the region, producing much of its energy and water requirements through solar panels and recycling water, among other methods.
Experts have estimated that the Pavilion will generate enough energy to power a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle to travel nearly halfway to Mars (around 23 million kilometres) while producing 22,000 litres of water per day at peak capacity – more than enough to fill three Olympic-sized pools per year.
But the Pavilion, which will become a Children and Science Centre in Expo’s legacy development District 2020, will be by no means the only structure in the 4.38 kilometre-squared Expo site with impressive sustainability credentials.
The target set by Expo is to achieve at least the LEED Gold certification for all permanent buildings – which will form the core part of District 2020 – and ensure that half of its electricity will be garnered from renewable sources supported by Official Sustainability Energy Partner, DEWA.
Using smart building and smart grid technologies, Expo 2020 is also aiming to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent (or around 150,000 megawatt hours of energy), with the support from Siemens, Expo’s Premier Partner for Intelligent Infrastructure and Operations.
Equally, Expo’s current busy on-site construction is being carried out with the welfare of the environment as a priority. Expo organisers say that it is on target to divert 85 percent of waste from landfill. In 2017 alone, this amounted to some 370,000 tonnes – the weight of about 950 Emirates A380 jumbo jets.
Additionally, Expo will use the ADSW to underline the impact it is already making by supporting innovative projects from around the world that are improving lives and helping preserve the planet.
Spearheading this is Expo Live, a USD 100 million innovation and partnership programme, also officially launched a year ago.
After two rounds of grants, it is already supporting 45 Global Innovators from 30 countries, with 18 projects that focus particularly on sustainability including one that uses high-flying kites to harness wind energy and another that purifies water through solar power. Visitors will be able to interact with prototypes from six projects at the Expo stand.
Several of Expo’s executive team will be at ADSW during the course of the week, including Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau Executive Director, Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, who will be announcing an exciting new sustainability initiative on Monday (15 January) aimed at leaving a lasting legacy across the UAE.
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About Expo 2020
Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. For six months from 20 October 2020, Expo aims to bring together 180 countries and millions of people to celebrate human ingenuity: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
· During the six months from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021, we expect millions of people to visit Expo.
· About 70 percent of all visitors are expected to come from outside the UAE - the largest proportion of international visitors in Expo history.
· We aim to create and deliver an inclusive and global Expo with more than 200 participants, including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions.
· Expo 2020 also has an ambitious volunteer programme, which aims to include more than 30,000 volunteers from a wide range of ages, nationalities, cultures and backgrounds.
· The Expo site covers a total of 4.38 square kilometres, including a 2 sq km gated area. It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South.
Visit: www.expo2020dubai.ae
Follow: Twitter: @expo2020dubai | Facebook: @Expo2020Dubai | Instagram: expo2020dubai
For Expo 2020 Dubai media enquiries, please contact:
Jon Bramley
Director – Editor-in-Chief (English)
Email: jon.bramley@expo2020dubai.ae
Tel: + 971 52 757 9993
P.O. Box 2020, Dubai, UAE
