Masdar Launches Second Edition of International Blogging Contest
Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Renewable Energy Company, has launched the second edition of its international Engage Blogging Contest ahead of January’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2014 – the region’s largest gathering on sustainability. Under the theme “Cities and Sustainable Development,” the competition asks contributors to discuss their views of the critical role our cities play in driving sustainability.
The Blogging Contest will contextualise the role played by technology, innovation, energy and water efficiency. It also takes into account the advancement of building materials, and opportunities for entrepreneurship and social innovation in the current debate about the role played by cities to enable sustainable development. Submissions will craft a compelling narrative, offering recommendations on how to balance urbanization with resource management.
ADSW, the five-day sustainability gathering, hosted by Masdar, takes place from 18-24 January 2014, and is anchored by the 7th World Future Energy Summit, the 2nd International Water Summit, the 6th Zayed Future Energy Prize award ceremony and EcoWaste. ADSW will once again offer an opportunity for public and private sector decision makers, investors and innovators to address sustainable development, with a particular focus on energy, water and waste.
“With 67 percent of the world’s population expected to reside in cities by 2050, we can anticipate a greater strain to be placed on cities as they become denser and require more water and energy,” said Omar Zaafrani, Strategic Communications Manager at Masdar. “Such urbanization will oblige us to adapt and become smarter about the way we manage our resources.”
“Through this blogging competition we aim to create a dialogue and debate the role of cities in achieving sustainable development. The competition will also offer a platform for the global community to voice their ideas and innovative solutions to tackling the urbanization challenge,” added Mr. Zaafrani.
Last year’s international blogging contest received more than 70 entries and engaged thousands of readers as it sparked worldwide discussion of sustainability issues in advance of the inaugural ADSW. This year’s winning post will again be awarded an all-expenses paid trip to attend, report and blog during ADSW 2014.
To enter, bloggers will write a post on their own blog with a link to Masdar’s Engage page, or alternatively for those who do not have a blog, submissions can be sent to press@masdar.ae. A judging panel will review qualifying entries based on quality; the number of votes it receives via the Masdar website, and the level of social media support the post wins. The competition closes on 3 January, 2014.