The third edition of the Belgian based ‘G-STIC’ conference series – Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Conference - took place in Brussels, from 20th of November. It was announced with great excitement recently that the fourth edition will be hosted at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, (OCEC) Muscat from on February, 10 - 12, 2020. It is hoped that Oman will become the centre for global sustainability, such as in solid waste management in the Gulf, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Sheikh Mohammed Al Harthy, Executive Vice-President of the Strategic Development Sector at ‘be’ah’, gave a short introduction to the concept. He welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced fellow presenters.
Eng. Said Al Shanfari, CEO of OCEC, the official venue of ISRTC 2020, stated, “The OCEC has achieved LEED Gold certification for its sustainable design, placing it as the one and only building with a Gold ranking in the Sultanate. We are excited to host the ISRTC 2020 and welcome everyone to Oman”.
Mr. Marc Tijhuis, Managing Director of International Solid Waste Association, ISWA, in the Netherlands, told the assembled that over one thousand three hundred participants representing ninety nationalities have subscribed and are actively promoting waste management and climate mitigation worldwide. In turn they are working to support Oman’s venture.
He said, “We are very excited to have the opportunity to support be’ah, an ISWA National Member in Oman, in putting together a platform for knowledge exchange and networking in the Arabian Peninsula region. Bridging the knowledge and experience gaps is a crucial step to accelerate the implementation of sustainable waste management through practices globally.
In the coming years ISWA is looking to support even more events, which increases collaboration across waste management, academia, industry, policymaking and the public sector. ISRTC 2020 is the perfect event to kick-start this journey”.
In answer to questions from the floor, he assured that the quality of presentation will be by working with top international experts.
“The ISRTC2020 team is delighted to announce the line-up of keynote, featured, and spotlight speakers who will provide a variety of perspectives from different academic and professional backgrounds.”
They need to take a holistic approach with renewable energy, such as waste water treatment which can also be used to generate energy as well as extracting nutrients for agriculture. They will consider Food for All through ‘solar food’, food waste recycling, vertical farms (useful in the Omani summer climate) and meat-free meat substitutes. On the matter of localisation and financial incentive, he cited the expansion of seaweed farming which has expanded eight-fold in recent years, from SMEs to large businesses. There is a culture of change emerging and young people will be involved in February, learning from the more experienced participants. Much of the technology is already available but it is about behaviour and the momentum to change he explained, in harnessing existing technologies, such as closing landfill dumps.
Next, Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd, Director of Policy at the specialist event organiser, ‘Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Conference’ (G-STIC), outlined her vision for 2040 throughout the world. There are already seven not-for-profit technological research institutes in sustainable developments, saying, “we need new technologies in areas of Education, such as through AI, and Carbon Capture. Technologies must be invested in CO2 control which costs two or three trillion dollars annually worldwide. We are on a joint mission to accelerate technological transitions for the Sustainable Development Goals and build a living library of transformative technologies across sectors, confirming our unwavering commitment to international processes that forward Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs”. She referred to the Extinction Rebellion now expanding worldwide, and stressed that the conference must connect with the Environmental movement, giving above all a message of hope through Carbon Capture. Research for the future should make economic sense through feasible technological solutions.
The price of solar energy is coming down rapidly, so there is ample incentive to develop it in Oman. PDO, GU-tech and twenty other projects are embracing solar power initiatives, developing technologies to use renewable sources. Wind, wave and water as well as solar all have potential in the Sultanate, but the 2020 conference should absolutely not be a one-off.
At the announcement, the shared mission was revealed, “to establish a regional platform in Oman to accelerate the deployment of technological innovations, leading to the achievement of sustainable development goals and the transition to a cyclic economy”. It is a very exciting prospect for the Sultanate to host, putting Oman at the cutting edge of green technology. One looks forward to a positive report of the success of this conference next February with eager anticipation.
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