IPTEC took part in Berytech's Green Innovation Days 2022 #GrID2022 on October 11, 12, and 13 at Le Royal Hotel, Dbayeh, funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Beirut and the ENI CBC MED.IPTEC's partnership and participation in this event reinforces its interest and strategic vision, as well as its strong alignment with Berytech on helping steer Lebanon towards the sustainable energy transition.
The 3-day event attracted 1300+ guests from Lebanon and the region, including professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, innovators, students, engineers, support organizations, and investors. It offered a condensed schedule of more than 35+ activities including discussion panels, keynote speakers, chats, match-making sessions, and demo sessions with more than 40 guest speakers diving into topics in innovation, circularity, and sustainability.
Aya Issa, representing IPTEC took part in the panel on “Enabling Sustainable Development in the MENA Region in Times of Crisis", which covered the challenges that stand in the way of accelerating sustainable development in the MENA region amid the multiple regional crises. The discussion zoomed in on the energy sector, focusing on how we can limit reliance on fossil fuels and move towards renewable energy, and who are the players regionally and locally that are leading that move.
In her intervention, Aya focused on the need for a proper legal framework and decentralization to allow the sustainable companies and initiatives in Lebanon to scale u and make a difference. Internationally, she highlighted how major oil companies are diversifying their business - the urgency around energy transition is presenting an opportunity for them to stay relevant and make it to the next stage. Locally, she highlighted that IPTEC, founded since 2012, is a testament that IPT has always had sustainability at the core of its business. Aya went over projects in the pipeline, most notably working with local partners to create EV charging networks across Lebanon, deploying solar systems on IPT's fuel stations to reduce its carbon footprint, including waste sorting facilities at selective stations, and adding biodiesel as a product.
The panel was moderated by Alain Daou, Director of the Nature Conservation Center at the American University of Beirut. The panel included leading speakers in their fields, sharing insightful views from different perspectives, including banking, private sector, and international agencies. The panelists included Carol Ayat, Senior Fellow at Issam Fares Institute and Head of Large Corporates and Specialized Lending at Bank Audi, Georges Geha, Chairman and General Manager at ECOsys, and Hassan Harajli – Energy & Environment Program Advisor & CEDRO Project Manager at UNDP.