Team behind world's first 'zero carbon, zero waste' city to visit UK » Environment » 24dash.com

Abu Dhabi is turning to the UK to bring its extraordinary plan - Masdar City, the world's first zero carbon, zero waste, car-free city - to life.

Eager to work with UK companies and academic institutions, the Masdar team will discuss the initiative's business opportunities with 108 companies at a Partnership Seminar, hosted by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

Masdar City is to be finished by 2016 and will eventually be home to 50,000 residents, 1,500 businesses, particularly those in the sustainable and alternative energies field.

A number of UK companies are already involved including BP, Shell, Rolls Royce, WSP Group, Imperial College and Forster and Partners, who designed the concept.

During the UK Government's visit to the Gulf in early November Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband and Secretary of State for Business Peter Mandelson were briefed on the initiative and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Masdar CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber.

The MoU provides a framework to leverage each other's expertise to help accelerate the adoption of technologies to make renewable energy affordable to the global community.

Opening UKTI's Partnership Seminar, Minister for Trade and Investment Gareth Thomas said: "With 17,000 companies making up the UK's environmental industries sector, it is not just large companies that have a part to play in the Masdar City story.

"The SMEs in our diverse environmental technologies sector also have a global reputation for world leading capabilities and outstanding solutions and services.

"For businesses, small and large, that make the leap and take early action to embrace low carbon solutions, the opportunities are huge. By 2010 it is estimated the renewable energy, waste management and water treatment industries will be worth $700 billion globally."

During the visit to the UK, the Masdar team will meet with UK companies in the following sectors:

• Energy generation: Solar, wind, geothermal, bio fuels, waste to energy, and others.
• Energy infrastructure: Transmission, management.
• Energy storage: Fuel cells, advanced batteries, hybrid systems.
• Water technologies: Water and waste water treatment, water resources.
• Waste management: Recycling, waste treatment.
• Transportation: Vehicles, logistics, structures, fuels.
• Green construction: Sustainable building materials, sustainable construction engineering, energy efficiency, sustainable design.
• Biodiversity: Agriculture, aquaculture, natural pesticides, land management, GHG reduction.
• Social & Policy: Population and public health, pollution and CSR Policy monitoring, and compliance carbon management.

Gareth Thomas added: "The UK has some of the boldest energy and climate change policies in the world.

"Our greenhouse gas reduction targets of 80% on 1990 levels by 2050 will only be achieved through partnerships to help develop new energy sources and technologies.

"Collectively we must do all we can to help ensure visions, such as Masdar City, succeed."

The UK Government, under the leadership of UKTI, is developing a UK Low Carbon International Marketing Strategy.

This will demonstrate the UK's expertise in low carbon solutions through case studies of international successes and help to create business partnerships overseas to tackle the challenge of climate change.

For more information on the Masdar City initiative, visit http://www.masdaruae.com.