A paper on the renewable energy sector authored by leading figures at Masdar has won an award for Outstanding Paper at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2011. The results were declared recently.

The award-winning work titled “An overview of CSR in the renewable energy sector: Examples from the MASDAR initiative in Abu Dhabi” was penned by Dr Toufic Mezher, Professor of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology; Dr Nawal Al Hosany, Associate director of Corporate Sustainability, Marketing and Corporate Communications; and Samer Tabbara, former Associate with Sustainability, Education and Awareness, Masdar. He is currently working as regional business manager for energy solutions in the Middle East with Johnson Controls Limited.

The paper, published in the Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, focuses on the corporate social responsibility of Masdar and the role the firm is playing as the leader in the renewable energy sector in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The case demonstrates the willingness of oil-producing countries to become more sustainable and take action on climate change.

The Masdar paper was selected as it “was one of the most impressive pieces of work the team has seen throughout 2010”, according to Emerald Group Publishing Limited jury.

“We are very happy that our paper has been chosen as the Outstanding Paper. Masdar has taken leadership in Sustainable Corporate Responsibility and renewable energy technologies regionally & globally and we are glad that others are recognising our achievements,” said Dr Nawal.

Every year Emerald invites each journal’s editorial team to nominate a title’s Outstanding Paper and up to three Highly Commended Papers from the previous year.

The papers are awarded following consultation among the journal’s editorial team, comprising eminent academics or managers. All papers submitted for nomination should contribute something new to the body of knowledge either in terms of approach or subject matter, be well researched, and be written well.

The Masdar initiative, which consists of five integrated units with the mission of becoming a leader in making renewable energy a real, viable business and Abu Dhabi a global centre of excellence in the renewable energy and clean technology category, can be regarded as a benchmark for future similar projects in the region and around the world.

Abu Dhabi set the first renewable energy policy in the region in January 2009. The policy sets targets for renewables within the future mix of Abu Dhabi’s power generation capacity by 2020. In 2006, the leadership of Abu Dhabi made a strategic decision to establish a globally competitive renewable energy sector in the country and hence the Masdar initiative was created.
 

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