Dubai, UAE, 29 January 2025: Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) successfully hosted its highly anticipated 1st panel discussion of the year, titled “Emergence of AI: A Boon or Detriment to Sustainability?” on 29th January 2025. This special edition event marked a dynamic start to EEG’s 2025 calendar, bringing together students, academics, and industry leaders to engage in a meaningful dialogues on one of the most pressing issues of our time. The event was made possible with the generous support of McDonald’s UAE, the main sponsor of the event, who has continually shown their commitment to advancing sustainability initiatives in the UAE.
EEG extends its heartfelt gratitude to McDonald’s UAE for their unwavering commitment to EEG and to its environmental protection and conservation efforts and undertakings.
The event was held at the prestigious Five the Palm Jumeirah, with further support from EEG’s Panel Discussions Partner, as well as its CSR Partner, Arabia CSR Network, and other esteemed collaborators, including the Emirates Green Building Council, Clean Energy Business Council, and the Swiss Business Council.
The discussion began with an engaging Inter-School Debate featuring two of EEG’s most active academic member schools. The Dubai National School, representing the position of, AI is a Boon to Sustainability, faced off against Our Own High School, Al Warqaa, which argued that AI is a Detriment to Sustainability. Each team, comprising three passionate students, debated the potential benefits and risks of AI’s role in shaping a sustainable future. This engaging debate not only showcased the students’ critical thinking skills but also gave them a platform to voice their perspectives on how AI intersects with sustainability. The debate set the stage for the larger discussion that followed, marking a fresh approach to engaging youth in sustainability dialogues.
Following the debate, the event transitioned into an Expert Panel Discussion, where distinguished thought leaders from various sectors shared their insights on the role of Artificial Intelligence in sustainability. The panelists included Dr. Youssef Al Assaf, President of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT Dubai), who provided his perspective on how AI could reshape industries, particularly in education and innovation, to encourage more sustainable practices.
Mr. Rohit Ghose, Global Head of Future of Finance at Citi, shared insights on the role of AI in shaping the future of finance and its potential impact on sustainability, particularly in the financial sector. Ms. Lama Zakzak, Principal Researcher at Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government, emphasised the importance of AI in shaping public policy and governance, which can help create a more sustainable future. Dr. Mahamadou Tounkara, Regional Director of MENA at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), discussed how AI can drive green growth in the MENA region and support sustainable economic development.
The expert panel addressed key questions about AI’s potential to revolutionise green technologies and its environmental implications, such as energy consumption, resource demand and ethical concerns. While AI holds vast promise, the panel also explored the challenges it poses, particularly regarding its environmental footprint and its ability to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The discussion underscored the need for a balanced approach that maximises AI’s positive impact on sustainability while mitigating its potential risks.
As a UNEP & UNCCD accredited NGO, EEG designed, developed and executed the panel discussion to address several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including #4 Quality Education, #7 Affordable and Clean Energy, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, #13 Climate Action, #14 Life Below Water, #15 Life on Land, and #17 Partnership for the Goals.
The session concluded with a dynamic, interactive Q&A, fostering critical and challenging discussion, and reinforcing the importance of collaboration in shaping a sustainable future and as customary several new corporate members were welcomed on board EEG and the hotel and sponsor were also felicitated.
“Today’s panel discussion was a great success in initiating meaningful conversations around the role of AI in our sustainability journey. By engaging students, professionals, and experts from various fields, we were able to explore both the opportunities and the risks associated with this emerging technology. We must ensure that AI is leveraged responsibly to help us meet the global sustainability targets,” said Mrs. Habiba Al Mar’ashi, Co-Founder & Chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group.
