Masdar announces Ecothon Plus competition winner

Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, has today announced “The Improvers” as the winning team of its Ecothon Plus competition, which is held under its Future Sustainability Leaders programme.

Hosted in collaboration with the UAE Emirates Red Crescent, the teams competing in the Ecothon Plus competition were tasked with providing energy-efficient solutions for the UAE-Jordanian Refugee Camp in Marajeeb Al Fhood, Jordan.

To help the teams with their research, two members from the Future Sustainability Leaders programme recently visited the camp in Jordan, where they were given the opportunity to research the feasibility of their sustainable solutions to help the more than 4,000 Syrian refugees living at the camp.

The Improvers team, consisting of Bilal Philippe Hani, Ikram Douba and Yaya Khan, won the competition with their innovative Solar Chimney project, which aims to boost air circulation in accommodation cabins to reduce reliance on air conditioners.

Dr Lamya Nawaf Fawwaz, Executive Director of Brand and Strategic Initiatives at Masdar, said: “I would like to congratulate all the teams who competed in our Ecothon Plus competition. Their sustainable solutions for the UAE-Jordanian Refugee Camp were very impressive and are testament to Masdar’s strategic aim of developing and empowering youth to become the next generation of sustainability leaders.”

Three teams of Future Sustainability Leaders, made up of local and international university students, participated in the competition, where they presented their energy-efficient solutions for the UAE-Jordanian Refugee Camp to a panel of judges from Emirates Red Crescent, the Catalyst, the Ministry of Energy and Industry, Stratecis, and Masdar.

The judges commended the participants for their presentations, adding The Improvers team stood out for their sustainable solution to reduce the use of air conditioning at the camp.

The Future Sustainability Leaders programme is part of the Masdar-hosted Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S) platform, which aims to educate, empower and engage youth. The year-round programme connects local and international students and young professionals aged 20-25 with government, business and technology leaders to raise awareness of sustainability issues, develop vocational skills and promote career development opportunities. 

Together with the Sustainability Ambassadors programme, a complementary initiative aimed at high school students, the Future Sustainability Leaders programme is dedicated to the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by engaging youth and empowering them to accelerate sustainable development.

During the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) from January 13-16, 2020, Y4S will be represented by an interactive hub that attracts around 3,000 students throughout the week. The Y4S Hub also includes the Climate Innovation Exchange (CLIX), a unique marketplace connecting entrepreneurs and investors to enable partnerships that power sustainable climate change solutions through knowledge, innovation and funding. WFES is the anchor event of the Masdar-hosted Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, one of the world’s largest sustainability gatherings.