Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, 122 youth have graduated from Masdar’s Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S) platform Future Sustainability Leaders and Sustainability Ambassadors programs at a virtual ceremony.
The graduates are the third cohort to complete the Y4S programs, with 537 youth now equipped with the skills to become environmental leaders to impact positive change and help lead Abu Dhabi’s vision for a sustainable future for all.
Y4S, a Masdar outreach initiative and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, invests in and actively supports the development of youth to become the sustainability leaders of tomorrow.
2020's graduating class of Future Sustainability Leaders and Sustainability Ambassadors has benefited from an excellent program that will support them as they seek to drive and influence real change across economic and social development, and environmental sustainability
Awaidha Murshed Ali Al Marar, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Energy
His Excellency Engineer Awaidha Murshed Ali Al Marar, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, and Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, addressed graduates and their families during the ceremony.
His Excellency Engineer Awaidha Murshed Ali Al Marar said: “The Department of Energy is committed to supporting Abu Dhabi's vision for a more sustainable and prosperous future, and by partnering with Youth 4 Sustainability, we are helping to prepare our youth to play their part in that future. As we celebrate the Year of the 50th, we are equipping our youth with the skills needed to take us forward to the next 50 years. 2020's graduating class of Future Sustainability Leaders and Sustainability Ambassadors has benefited from an excellent program that will support them as they seek to drive and influence real change across economic and social development, and environmental sustainability.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar said: “Masdar recognizes that educating and empowering today’s youth is key to supporting the global energy transition, and the Youth 4 Sustainability platform was created to invest in youth and directly support their education and development. This year’s cohort of Future Sustainability Leaders and Sustainability Ambassadors graduates have excelled against the backdrop of the pandemic, which has reiterated the urgency to advance sustainability and climate action. I look forward to seeing their future progress as they support the global sustainability agenda.”
The year-long Future Sustainability Leaders and Sustainability Ambassadors programs aim to build the next generation of sustainability leaders by providing experiential, hands-on, and active learning.
The Future Sustainability Leaders program connects university students and professionals aged 18-35 with global leaders, policymakers and technology pioneers to learn about sustainability best practice and leadership. The Sustainability Ambassadors program is designed for high-school students, offering them core knowledge and skills training, authentic work experience, and quality networking at major events throughout the year.
