Waha Capital, a leading investment company based in Abu Dhabi, has partnered with the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF, EWS-WWF, to launch the Environmental Youth Champions Programme.

The programme aims to raise awareness of climate change issues and encourage scientific study among youth in the UAE. Inspired by the "#Year of Giving", Waha Capital has committed to supporting the Emirates Wildlife Society, as well as encouraging its employees to assist in the execution of the programme and engaging with youth through research and practical activities related to the environment and sustainability.

"Waha Capital is strongly committed to contributing to the important conversations that are unfolding globally while also engaging the next generation of leaders on these key issues," Amer Aidi, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Waha Capital, said.

"EWS-WWF has designed an excellent initiative that addresses two crucial issues for our future, climate change and science education. We hope our partnership will help make the Environmental Youth Champions Programme a real success, and that it will leave a lasting impression on the young people involved."

The Environmental Youth Champions Programme focuses on engagement with the country’s youth, supporting their hopes and aspirations to face the challenges of climate change. The programme is comprised of an inspirational lecture, a sustainability board game workshop and a two-day field experience that is made up of scientific research, theoretical lectures and lab work, covering a variety of climate change modules through the Future Scientists Programme.

"Climate change is one of the biggest threats to humanity and life as we know it today in the UAE and things will only get worse if we don’t act. The good news is there is still time to make a difference; 2017 has been declared the "#Year of Giving" in the UAE and as an organisation we are working with partners, such as Waha Capital, to positively contribute to the environment and society," said Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director-General at EWS-WWF.

Abdullatif continued: "We have the knowledge and the technology to reduce our contribution to climate change and ease the pressures caused by this on our society, and we want to drive this forward. Waha Capital is supporting our view that society should engage in the issue and that our youth should play a critical role in finding solutions and volunteering their time to act as ambassadors of the cause."

Source: Wam