Upcoming Events
Recent EventsIn recent years, there has been a large increase in philanthropic activity and investments focused on climate change mitigation strategies and initiatives, with giving towards climate causes increasing to approx. $7-12 billion in 2021 (ClimateWorks, 2022). This increase comes as a response to the understanding that climate change is having direct and adverse effects on the health of the planet and communities, particularly vulnerable populations.
With this in mind and in anticipation of the UAE hosting COP28 in the last quarter of 2023, the Pearl Initiative, Circle and NYU Abu Dhabi’s Strategic Philanthropy Initiative (SPI), are hosting a forum on the topic The Role of Strategic Philanthropy in Climate Change Solutions. The convening would aim to convene multi-sectoral philanthropic actors from the region with the purpose of deepening dialogue around the role of philanthropy in the global movement to mitigate climate change as well as to provide tangible insights into how to fund for climate change mitigation best and most strategically.
The convening will take place in-person in Abu Dhabi and will entail a high-level panel discussion featuring seasoned philanthropists and industry experts working in the climate space, including H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, Laila Abdullatif and Ayla Bajwa. The panel will be moderated by Antonios Vouloudis. Following the panel session, the convening would break into multiple small-group, parallel workshops which would be expert-facilitated on more technical, industry-specific topics. The workshops will be faciliated by AVPN, Dalberg, Global Ventures and NYU faculty. Attendees are free to sign up to whichever workshop topic is most relevant or of most interest to them.
To express your interest to join, please contact Amreen Vadsaria at avadsaria@pearlinitiative.org. Alternatively, you can register here: https://forms.gle/nuYPZZq3wzAqfLmE6
H.E. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak
Designation: Secretary-General, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi
Razan leads the organisation in achieving its mandate of protecting the environment by reducing pollution and enhancing the Emirate’s biodiversity. Razan is also the Managing Director of the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with the WWF (EWS-WWF) as well as the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Her Excellency serves on the boards of the Global Footprint Network, African Wildlife Foundation, and the Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort. She is also a member of the Board of Advisors of Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Understanding of Environmental Change from the University College London, UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA.
Ayla Bajwa
Designation: Senior Vice President of Group Sustainability, DP World
Ayla has over 20 years of experience as an international sustainability expert, recognized for her work in corporate sustainability and sustainable development working with UN entities, governments, and multinational companies.
Ayla is currently Senior Vice President for Group Sustainability at DP World, spearheading the global delivery of DP World’s sustainability strategy “Our World Our Future.” She leads the coordination of DP World’s key responsible business practices and 3 legacy areas: Education, Water and Women, unifying DP World’s commitment to working sustainably across all its worldwide business functions with a multistakeholder lens.
Ayla’s previous positions include Acting Executive Director and Senior Advisor to the Global Compact UAE and Head of Sustainability for the Chalhoub Group. Ayla is also the Founder of ampUz, an impact and sustainability technology & advisory company that advocates for a data driven approach to measuring progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Laila Abdullatif
Designation: Director General, EN-WWF
As Director General of Emirates Nature-WWF, Laila Mostafa Abdullatif leads the delivery of high-impact, science-based solutions for conservation, sustainability, and the green recovery at a regional scale. Alongside representing the organisation and heading up its initiatives across education, engagement, research and policy, Laila plays a hands-on role in managing the Board of Directors, fundraising and strategic stakeholder engagement.
At a global level, Laila is the chair of the WWF Asia Pacific Growth Strategy, responsible for leading environmental strategy and growth, driving change across the 26 WWF Asia Pacific offices in the region.
In her capacity of building strategic partnerships between private and public stakeholders, Laila is instrumental to the UAE’s green solutions. She is a member of the UAE’s Circular Economy Council, the highest steering body of the UAE ‘Scale 360’ initiative in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, alongside several cabinet ministers and public and private sector leaders, a council dedicated to supporting the transformation of the nation’s relationship to resource management and consumption.
Laila believes in the importance of mobilising all sectors of society, including the UAE government, the private sector, and the general public in taking action for nature. She has overseen the launch of the Leaders of Change programme, the UAE’s biggest movement for nature and one that makes participation in the country’s green solutions accessible to all.
NYU Abu Dhabi Campus
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