Shamma bint Sultan calls for better co-op for climate action

Her Highness Sheikha Shamma is President and CEO of Frontier25 and The Climate Tribe, and Chairwoman of Alliances for Global Sustainability, RESET MENA and Aurora50.

Speaking during the University of Cambridge’s Sustainability Leadership Alumni Insight Sharing Day, Her Highness Sheikha Shamma said scaling existing climate solutions and embedding sustainability into institutional structures were essential to achieving long-term impact.

“We need to scale the solutions we know we have and remove barriers to innovation, but we also need a more consolidated ecosystem approach,” she said during a discussion with Lindsay Hooper, CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, held at Robinson College.

“In a globalised world that is increasingly divided, we all have a responsibility to act as a bridge for the betterment of future generations.”

Discussing the UAE and wider region’s response to climate challenges, Her Highness Sheikha Shamma stressed the importance of integrating sustainability practices into organisations beyond compliance requirements.

Her Highness also highlighted the role individuals can play in advancing climate ambitions regardless of their professional backgrounds. “One doesn’t have to work for a climate organisation to be a climate leader,” she said. “Use your network intentionally. Climate is interdisciplinary and collaboration is key.”

“Professionals who carry climate thinking and systems thinking with them will create the most enduring impact,” she added.

Her Highness Sheikha Shamma holds a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership and an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge.