ABU DHABI – More than 1,000 researchers, policymakers, investors and young innovators gathered this week in Abu Dhabi for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Climate Solutions Summit 2026, a three-day meeting themed ‘From Climate Knowledge to Climate Action’ aimed at moving climate research out of laboratories and into real-world deployment.
FAKTA
- Event: Inaugural Abu Dhabi Climate Solutions Summit 2026
- When: 8–10 October 2026, at Khalifa University’s main campus, Abu Dhabi
- Theme: ‘From Climate Knowledge to Climate Action’
- Scale: Over 1,000 registrations and more than 100 research posters; 22 sessions on day one alone
- Organizers: Khalifa University’s Research Institute for Resource Management and Sustainability and the UAE Universities Climate Network, with support from the Mubadala Youth Council
The summit was opened by Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, president of Khalifa University of Science and Technology and general chair of the summit. Opening remarks were also delivered by Majid Al Suwaidi, Director General of the COP28 Presidency and chief executive of ALTÉRRA, and Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Scholar Center for Studies and Research.
Youth sessions were a central part of the summit, with young innovators pitching climate solutions with real-world potential. (Image: Watan News)
Keynote: Rethinking energy, water and food systems
The opening keynote, titled ‘Rethinking Energy, Water, and Food Systems to Build Well-Being’, was delivered by Dr. Evelyn Wang, vice-president for energy and climate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and former director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. She argued that climate is a system-of-systems challenge, with energy, food, water, the built environment, healthcare, ecology and mobility all interconnected.
A high-level panel on ‘Forging Climate Solutions, Accelerating Climate Action’ brought together Rodrigo Martins, president of the European Academy of Sciences; Bill Shelander, founding venture investor of Nvidia and former White House advisor on technology transfer; Qais Al Suwaidi, group vice-president for innovation and R&D at the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA); Neil Wilmshurst, chairman of the ASME Foundation Executive Council; and Stephen Davison, co-founder of the Higher Education Climate Network of Networks and executive director of Cambridge Zero.
The UAE is positioning its universities as a bridge between climate research and commercial deployment. (Image: Watan News)
From sessions to a hackathon
Day one featured parallel technical, youth and international sessions spanning transportation electrification, water security, sustainable food and agriculture, energy storage, climate-resilient cities, new materials, carbon capture, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence applied to climate solutions. A dedicated panel highlighted ‘Women Scientists for Climate Solutions’, while an international session with the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate examined how universities can accelerate climate action.
On the second day, technical and youth sessions continued, closing with an interactive conversation on taking climate technologies from ideas to commercial solutions, hosted by conference chair Professor Samuel Mao together with Bill Shelander.
The summit concludes on 10 October with the ‘Amazon Experience – From Forest to Global Market’ hackathon and an award ceremony.
Recommendations for international climate forums
According to the organizers, Khalifa University will work with the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate and the Higher Education Climate Network of Networks to prepare recommendations identifying priorities from the discussions for international climate forums. No timetable for releasing those recommendations has been announced.
Conclusion
The Abu Dhabi Climate Solutions Summit 2026 marks a new platform for the region’s universities to connect research with policymakers, investors and industry. Its message — that decades of discussing climate challenges must now give way to accelerating action — mirrors the pressure building ahead of the COP31 climate talks.
Read more of our climate action coverage on Watan News.
