Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – 19 January 2023: The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2023. The MoU aims to strengthen commercial, economic, and technical cooperation in energy and water efficiency, sustainability, and conservation and is in line with both parties’ endeavour to achieve Abu Dhabi’s long-term economic development. 

The MoU was signed by Eng. Ahmed Al Falasi, Acting Executive Director of the Energy Efficiency Sector and NYUAD Director of Sustainability and Stewardship Antonios Vouloudis, in the presence of dignitaries from both parties.

The MoU aims to enhance cooperation and exchange of information and expertise between the DoE and NYUAD in capability development. It calls for scientific, technical, technological, legislative, and administrative cooperation in energy and water efficiency, sustainability, and conservation. They will jointly identify opportunities in Demand Side Management (DSM), energy and water efficiency, behavioural change, end-use consumption measurement, renewable energy, carbon footprint assessment, retrofits, energy and water resource issues, and clean energy certification.

Eng. Ahmed Al Falasi, Acting Executive Director of the Energy Efficiency Sector, said: “This agreement is in line with our goal of promoting energy and water efficiencies by encouraging new technologies and methodologies while nurturing consumer education and behavioural change.” He added: We are delighted to formalise our partnership with NYUAD and exchange knowledge and experiences to further develop advanced policies for the clean energy and water value chain. This is the first step in our joint efforts to enhance energy and water efficiency and aid our prevailing DSM and Energy Rationalisation Strategy 2030 and reduce consumption. It will further strengthen Abu Dhabi's position as a global hub for sustainability.”

Mariët Westermann, Vice Chancellor of NYUAD, added: 'This Memorandum of Understanding between NYU Abu Dhabi and the Department of Energy underscores the strength of our relationship and our shared commitment to making meaningful and lasting contributions to the energy sector as we work together to develop innovative solutions and research to meet the future energy needs of the UAE and the world. It will enable us to collaborate closely on research and projects that will help advance the energy transition in the region, while also providing our students with valuable educational opportunities that will prepare them for a successful career in the evolving energy sector. We are grateful for the support of the Department of Energy and look forward to a productive and successful partnership.'

NYUAD Director of Sustainability and Stewardship Antonios Vouloudis commented: “This MoU is a fantastic opportunity for NYUAD to collaborate closely with the Department of Energy on various energy and environmental-related initiatives including demand-side management, energy and water efficiency, behavioral change, among others. This partnership is key towards our efforts to achieve the vision of transforming the NYUAD campus into one of the most sustainable in the region.”

The DoE and NYUAD will share and mutually verify studies, data, and statistics on energy and water efficiencies and DSM, for their energy balance models and other analyses. They will promote training and capacity building, conduct pilot studies, and share data and models in the areas of behavioural change at the individual and societal levels to better implement program and policy development. They will peer-review documents in energy and water strategy, nudging, technology roadmaps and long-term scenarios. They will also design and implement training programs and exchange information about emerging opportunities.

The DoE and NYUAD MoU will have a duration of three years and is governed by the laws of the UAE.