UAE Pro League sets sustainability benchmark for professional football in the region as it begins the journey of powering its facilities and venues with clean and renewable energy
Partnership to strengthen sustainability best practices and support the UAE Pro League’s commitment to sustainability
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 26 October 2023: The UAE Pro League today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company), a leading company in the integrated planning, purchasing and supply of water and electricity across the UAE, to bolster sustainability practices and decarbonise electricity consumption through the wider adoption of Clean Energy Certificates (CECs) across UAE Pro League competitions.
The MoU was signed at EWEC’s headquarters by Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi, Chairman of the UAE Pro League and Hamad Al Hammadi, Chairman of EWEC. Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Executive Director, Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth, ADNOC, and representatives from the three organisations also attended.
Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi, Chairman of UAE Pro League, said: “The UAE Pro League is keenly aware of the key role this partnership will have in promoting sustainable practices and raising awareness amongst clubs and fans regarding the critical need to address climate change. This is a key part of our broader commitment to support UAE initiatives that help to create a better future for us all. With 2023 being championed as the UAE Year of Sustainability, it is only natural that we take substantial action to ensure that we operate responsibly to the environment and future generations.”
Hamad Al Hammadi, Chairman of EWEC, said: “This partnership provides EWEC with a unique opportunity to further accelerate the country’s energy transition and to decarbonise professional football activities, in line with the UAE’s sustainability agenda. With a shared commitment to efficiency and sustainability, we're setting a new standard for excellence, both on and off the field. Having signed this agreement, the first of its kind in the Middle East, we look forward to collaborating with the UAE Pro League, while continuing to advance partnerships with like-minded stakeholders.”
The UAE Pro League is developing an environmental sustainability strategy setting out plans to deliver climate action and manage resources sustainably in collaboration with partners and stakeholders. It continues to explore initiatives to minimise its competitions' impact on the environment and is evaluating committing to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Race to Zero campaign, which aims to achieve a healthy, resilient zero-carbon recovery that unlocks inclusive and sustainable growth.
Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Executive Director, Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth, said: “As the title sponsor of the Pro League, we welcome the partnership between the UAE Pro League and EWEC, which will advance the UAE’s decarbonisation efforts and support its Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. ADNOC is committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of today’s energy system while investing in the clean energies of the future, and we are keen to partner with others on our journey to a lower-carbon future.”
CECs, issued by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE), empower businesses in Abu Dhabi to verify their clean energy consumption claims and reduce their carbon footprint. Issued by the DoE in 1 MWh units, CECs are tradable digital certificates which comply with the International REC Standard (I-REC) and prove ownership of the environmental and economic benefits derived from clean energy consumption. EWEC is one of the key parties enabling the implementation of Abu Dhabi’s CECs scheme, acting as the Single Registrant and Auction Operator.
About Emirates Water and Electricity Company
EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company) is the sole procurer and supplier of water and electricity in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. EWEC drives the planning, forecasting, purchasing, and despatch of water and electricity. EWEC fulfils these vital responsibilities through the short-term and long-term balancing of bulk supply and demand for distribution companies and authorities in Abu Dhabi and other Emirates. EWEC is supporting the government of Abu Dhabi and the government of the UAE by enabling the reduction of cost whilst also providing the increased security of supply that comes from a cleaner, larger, and more integrated system.
EWEC is mandated to implement strategic initiatives that will achieve the 60 per cent clean energy target outlined in the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy's (DoE) Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 for Electricity Production in Abu Dhabi, in addition to enabling the achievement of UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, UAE Energy Strategy by 2050, and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative. EWEC is accelerating Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s energy transition by diversifying the country’s energy mix through developing and deploying renewable and clean energy as well as low-carbon intensive water desalination capacities. EWEC is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy. For more information, please visit www.ewec.ae.
About UAE Pro League
The UAE Pro League was established in 2008 under the name the “UAE Football League.” It was then declared as a committee working under the UAE Football Association umbrella in 2011. The UAE Pro League’s current legal status was declared by the General Authority of Sports resolution in 2019, which recognized the UAE PL as a juristic person.
The 14 professional clubs are members of the UAE Pro League’s General Assembly and elect its board every four years. As the official organizer of the ADNOC Pro League, ADIB Cup, UAE Super Cup, and the Pro League U21, the UAE Pro League owns all the commercial, marketing, broadcasting, and digital rights of these competitions
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