20/01/2026
2016 was not just a year, it was a starting point.
As part of the 2016 throwback trend, we’re looking back to where the journey began.
On 5 October 2016, the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) was launched by the United Arab Emirates Government represented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, during the World Green Economy Summit in Dubai with a clear vision: to create a global platform that advances dialogue, cooperation, and practical action towards a green, low-carbon, and climate-resilient future.
Just weeks later, the UAE became the first country to join WGEO, followed by the global announcement at COP22 in Marrakech, positioning WGEO as a bridge between governments, international organizations, the private sector, and society at large.
In November 2016, the vision received global recognition, as the United Nations Secretary-General commended the UAE’s leadership and the establishment of WGEO as a mechanism to accelerate progress toward global climate and development goals.
Looking back matters because it reminds us why we started, what we set out to build, and the responsibility that comes with carrying a global mandate forward.
From 2016 to today, the purpose remains the same: turning vision into action, and dialogue into impact.
