Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has been reappointed for the fifth consecutive time as a member of the Board of Directors of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), Bin Shafar was initially elected to join the association’s Board of Directors in 2013, making him the first Emirati Arab to hold a senior position in IDEA. A non-profit organisation headquartered in the USA, IDEA has over 2,400 members of officials and decision-makers from the public and private sectors around the world.
IDEA Executive Committee announced the reappointment of Empower’s CEO as a Member Emeritus to its Board in a meeting that coincided with the 114th edition of IDEA Annual Conference & Trade Show, the largest international event of its kind, held recently in Chicago, USA.
The reappointment comes in recognition of Bin Shafar’s prominent achievements in the district cooling industry and his support for plans to deploy district cooling globally, as well as his high professionalism that characterised his performance over the past ten years as a member of the IDEA Board of Directors, and also as a Special Advisor on district cooling to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as part of its ‘District Energy in Cities’ initiative. The re-appointment for the fifth term also celebrates Bin Shafar’s initiatives for protecting natural resources, preserving the environment, and promoting the culture of green energy projects, as well as his participation and sponsorship in IDEA’s various volunteer activities.
Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower and Chairman of Dubai’s District Cooling Operators Association, said, “Re-electing me for a fifth term as a member of the Board of Directors of IDEA, puts a big responsibility on us, and we are confident in our ability to fulfill it in the face of immense challenges in the district cooling industry.” He further stressed his determination to continue assuming the responsibilities of his position in a way that ensures achieving a positive impact in terms of preserving a green and sustainable environment, and clearly reflects the pivotal role of the UAE and Dubai in supporting energy-saving green solutions and projects, a domain in which Empower has already achieved leadership locally and globally.