WHAT IS WISER

Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) is a global platform that champions women as leaders of sustainable change.

Since 2015, WiSER has focused on the core pillars of education, engagement and empowerment, and is born out of the UAE leadership’s longstanding and continuing commitment to the role of women; a commitment traced directly back to the vision of the late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Aligned with the UAE’s net-zero goals, WiSER is rooted in a recognition that more needs to be done to support women in the global mission to tackle climate change.

WHY IS IT NEEDED?

Women and girls are crucial to building a more sustainable world.

Globally, women often bear the brunt of climate change and can play a game-changing role in tackling it. Providing women with the skills and opportunities to lead can ensure the needs of the most vulnerable are met while boosting economic output. Yet gender barriers remain. Women are under-represented in the renewable energy sector and struggle to access climate finance and education. To address these issues and empower women in sustainability around the world, WiSER was formed.

WiSER GOVERNANCE

Advisory Council

The WiSER Advisory Council comprises global policymakers, business leaders and influential figures who provide strategic direction and guidance on WiSER initiatives to enhance the participation of women and girls in the sustainability industry.

Board of Directors

H.E. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change, COP28 President, and Chairman of Masdar

Board of Directors

H.E. Mariam Bint Mohammed Almheiri

Chairman of International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court

Board of Directors

H.E. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs

Board of Directors

H.E. Razan Al Mubarak

UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for the COP28 Presidency, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Managing Director of Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund

Board of Directors

H.E. Dr Nawal Al Hosany

Permanent Representative of the UAE to IRENA

Board of Directors

H.E. Adnan Z. Amin

CEO COP28 Office, Senior Research Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center

Board of Directors

Damilola Ogunbiyi

CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy

Board of Directors

Linda Fitz-Alan

Registrar and Chief Executive at ADGM Courts

Board of Directors

Michael Liebreich

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Liebreich Associates

Board of Directors

Deb Frodl

Board Director for Renewable Energy Group, ITC Holdings and XL FLeet

Board of Directors

Dymphna van der Lans

Chief Executive Officer at Clean Cooking Alliance

Board of Directors

Dr Kandeh K. Yumkella

CEO Energy Nexus Network, Former U.N. Under Secretary General and Special Representative For Sustainable Energy for All and Director General of UNIDO

 
 
 
 

WiSER Impact

100+

professional young women representing 30 nationalities have graduated from the WiSER Pioneers Program

3,000+

influential figures have been convened by WiSER to advance gender parity and sustainability

240+ hours

of mentoring has been provided to young women to become sustainability leaders

100+ hours

of workshops have been conducted with WiSER Pioneers

WISER PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES

The WiSER Annual Forum takes place during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and aims to promote new thinking and viable solutions to empower present and future generations of women sustainability leaders.

Explore the key findings of the WiSER Annual Forum.

Drawing together experts from the UAE and abroad, the WiSER Wisdom Series provides a platform for discussing urgent sustainability issues. Previous discussions have covered topics such as biodiversity conservation and how women entrepreneurs can be part of the post-pandemic green recovery.

The year-long WiSER Pioneers Program offers young women aged 25 to 35 access to educational workshops and global networking opportunities with industry experts. The program provides women with the skills and knowledge needed to lead the transition to a net-zero future. Interested in applying? Find out if you are eligible for the next application cycle.

 

The WiSER Mentorship Program is open to women enrolled in the WiSER Pioneers Program. Its purpose is to aid career progression by providing one-to-one mentoring sessions with senior industry figures. The sessions focus on goal setting, skills-building, and preparing participants for leadership roles.

If you wish to volunteer as a mentor, please register your interest with the WiSER team and tell us your designation, the number of years of experience you have, and what you hope to offer as a mentor.

At WiSER, engagement lies at the heart of our field trips and high-level forums, where women can increase their sustainability knowledge and build connections. Empowerment drives our events, where global influential leaders gather to find solutions to gender and sustainability issues.

The WiSER Cares program aims to advance community development through cultural exchange. WiSER Pioneers have been taken on field trips to help increase their sustainability knowledge and build partnerships. Recent trips include spending time living with, and learning from, a rural, off-grid community in Rwanda. Another trip entailed visiting Japan to understand more about leadership and carbon neutrality.

This quarterly e-newsletter is filled with updates about WiSER’s achievements and developments. The newsletter contains stories and statistics about WiSER’s impact and encourages readers to continue to champion women as agents of sustainable change.

 

Through its campaigns, WiSER aims to recognize and empower women’s efforts to build a more sustainable future, and position women and girls of all nationalities as drivers of change and innovation, whether on issues of policy, technology or business. By championing change makers and innovators, we inspire the next generation of women leaders and pioneers in the field of sustainability.

STAY INFORMED

WiSER Newsletter

This quarterly e-newsletter is filled with updates about WiSER’s achievements and developments. The newsletter contains stories and statistics about WiSER’s impact and encourages readers to continue to champion women as agents of sustainable change.

PARTNER WITH WiSER

Partnerships

The WiSER platform welcomes the support of organizations from all sectors. If you are interested in collaborating with WiSER, please contact the WiSER team.