Youth 4 Sustainability holds first virtual workshop

Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S), one of Masdar’s strategic initiatives dedicated to the education, empowerment and engagement of youth, held their first virtual workshop as part of the Future Sustainability Leaders program.

The workshop was attended by nearly 50 participants, who had the opportunity to engage with the presenters throughout the session, ask questions and interact with one another.

The workshop, titled Cooling 101, served as a vital continuation to the first stage of the Ecothon + competition, which took place at the 2020 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW). The Future Sustainability Leaders were able to further their knowledge on cooling in Abu Dhabi, cooling technologies, and cooling strategies.

With support from Y4S partners, the Department of Energy (DoE), Tabreed and Alpin Limited, the Future Sustainability Leaders had the opportunity to further their knowledge of the cooling system, learn about Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventilation (HVAC) systems, and the assessment and strategy of cooling systems.

The 2-hour workshop featured presentations from Carlos Amaya, Senior Specialist, Demand Side Management, from the DoE, who spoke about cooling in Abu Dhabi, exploring the implications of COVID-19 on the cooling demand in residential communities. 

Alastair Mulligan, Managing Director of Tabreed, presented an overview of the HVAC system, how it works, and the different components that make up an HVAC system.
Closing the session, Farah Ghanem, Energy Specialist, Innovation Officer at Alpin Limited, discussed how to assess a cooling system and explored strategies for implanting innovative cooling technologies.

This is the first time that the FSL program has hosted a virtual workshop, due to the current social distancing efforts to help combat the spread of COVID-19. 
Feedback from participants on the new format was very positive:

Ammar Isameldin Hassan Hummieda: “It was surprisingly informative and engaging in ways I did not expect an online workshop to be from my academic experience with online classes.” 

Shaikha Ahmad AlShaikh: “We managed to learn more about HVAC, and got to hear from senior management on what they're doing with regards to efficient cooling.”

Maryam Ahmed Naser Alansaari: “The content was very beneficial especially that if comes from my background! Learnt a lot of new things.”

Earlier this year, Y4S was launched as a global platform is designed to equip young people with the skills needed to pursue careers in the sustainability industry, combining tailored workshops and real-world experience to empower youth and give them the skills they need to excel.