MEXICO PRESIDENT RECIEVES BRIEF ON MASDAR ACTIVITIES AND UAE PARTICIPATION IN CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS

Abu Dhabi-UAE/Cancun-Mexico: 8 December, 2010 – The President of Mexico, His Excellency Felipe Calderon received a comprehensive briefing from Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Chief Executive of Masdar and United Arab Emirates Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change, on the activities of Masdar and the UAE’s ongoing participation in the Climate Change Negotiations in Cancun.

The meeting took place at the ProMexico Green Solutions exhibition during the opening tour conducted by President Calderon where he visited the Masdar stand.

Green Solutions, an initiative by the Federal Government of Mexico hosted on the sidelines of the COP16 conference, offers a platform for the private sector to showcase the leading efforts of the private sector in climate change mitigation, particularly in the fields of trade, investment and technological development.

His Excellency the President thanked the UAE for its effective and engaging contribution to the negotiations at COP16 and applauded the UAE leadership’s efforts towards advancing renewable energy technologies and addressing climate change. He specifically commended the contribution of Masdar for its comprehensive and dynamic approach to addressing the challenges.

President Calderon also emphasized the importance of steering away from what he referred to as the “false dilemma” of economic growth versus climate change mitigation and persevering in the fight against climate change in the face of economic woes. He stressed that economic growth is possible despite the current financial situation. The President also commended the UAE’s commitment to ensuring the success of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), based out of the capital, Abu Dhabi.

Mexico, one of IRENA’s recent member states, joined the Agency July 7^th, 2010.

Dr. Al Jaber briefed the President on the nation’s economic diversification plans, which includes fostering human capital and the development of knowledge led industries.

He also provided the President with an overview of the UAE’s approach to energy diversification, explaining: “It is crucial for our future generations that we pursue an energy mix that will help reduce carbon emissions, advance technologies and conserve hydrocarbons for future generations.”

Dr. Al Jaber further explained that a key contributor to the UAE’s energy diversification plans is the Abu Dhabi based Masdar Initiative.

“Through our holistic approach that encompasses research, development, education, investment and deployment of renewable energy and clean technologies, Masdar is playing an important role in achieving Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy goals and economic diversification plans.” 

Dr. Al Jaber also took the opportunity to brief His Excellency the President on the delicate state of the negotiations in Cancun and the significant differences in positions between the developed and developing countries as well as the importance of the continuation of the Kyoto protocol. Dr. Al Jaber praised the Mexican government for an excellent job of managing expectations and ensuring a transparent and inclusive process at COP16.

Dr. Al Jaber explained that this year’s negotiations present an opportunity to restore faith in the multilateral process.

"We are optimistic that countries recognize the importance of making substantive progress and are therefore more willing to compromise. This is a signal of the growing confidence in the multilateral system, which is key to achieving an effective solution to climate change. We are strong supporters of the multilateral process and are keen to be part of the solution."

He added: “Reaching important agreements and taking meaningful action to tackle climate change will not be driven by political entities or by private industry alone. A coordinated and cooperative approach by policy and business leaders is a key aspect to achieving a vibrant economy and a healthy environment.” 

Earlier in the day, the UAE delegation attended an exclusive briefing hosted by President Calderon that included various high level delegates.

The United Arab Emirates delegation in this year’s Conference of Parties consists of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate of Energy and Climate Change, the Ministry of Environment and Water, Ministry of Energy, Masdar, as well as the National Center for Meteorology and Seismology, and the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi.

About Masdar

Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s multi-faceted initiative advancing the development, commercialization and deployment of renewable and alternative energy technologies and solutions. The company serves as a link between today’s fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future - developing the “greenprint” for how we will live and work tomorrow. Backed by the stability and reputation of the Mubadala Development Company, an investment vehicle of the government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is dedicated to the emirate’s long-term vision for the future of energy.

For more information about the Masdar Initiative, please visit: www.masdar.ae

Mercator says “Bienvenido” to Aeroméxico

DUBAI, U.A.E., 22nd September 2010 – Mercator, a Dubai-based global leader in business technology solutions for the airline and transportation industry, has spread its wings further across the globe this month, implementing its loyalty solutions CRIS (Customer Relationship Information System) and CASA (Customer Affairs and Service Audit) in Latin America with Aeroméxico.

Aeroméxico and its subsidiary, Aeroméxico Connect, together operate more than 500 daily flights. Mercator’s CRIS solution will be used worldwide to manage Club Premier, Aeromexico's award winning loyalty programme, as well as its Club Premier Corporativo and Salon Premier schemes.  Introduced in 1992, Club Premier was the first Frequent Flyer Programme to be introduced in Latin America and it now has more than two million members.

Mercator’s CRIS product will optimise the airline’s loyalty services and enhance the overall customer experience.  It will also reduce costs and improve communications with customers. In addition, the CASA solution will allow Aeroméxico to raise customer loyalty as the airline becomes more customer focussed and creates rewards to ensure their continued business with the airline. The migration of Aeroméxico’s loyalty system to Mercator's solution is part of its continuous improvement strategy to provide high quality products and services.

After the recent contract signing in Mexico City by Patrick Naef, Head of Mercator and Ricardo Sanchez Baker, CFO, Aeroméxico, Patrick said: “This partnership is very significant for us, as Aeroméxico is our launch customer for both our CRIS and CASA products in Latin America. We really want to help airlines differentiate themselves from the competition and respond to the needs of their own customers by empowering them with a complete view of the customer.”

Jeremy Rabe, Director of Club Premier, Aeroméxico said: “We are always looking for ways to provide a superior customer experience at every touch point.  Having a state-of-the-art loyalty solution is one of many steps we are taking towards this goal. The implementation of CRIS will allow us to enhance our customer knowledge, implement more frequent promotions and increase our speed in handling customer requests.”

CRIS, created and developed by Mercator’s dedicated team in Dubai, has been designed to effectively manage customer relationship and frequent flier programmes in a single integrated system. The loyalty solution is versatile and flexible and can also be used for non-aviation businesses. Recently the solution was implemented at Etisalat, the U.A.E.’s largest telecommunications provider. 

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About Mercator
Mercator www.mercator.com is a global provider of business technology solutions, serving over 100 customers across five continents. Mercator’s products include passenger and airport solutions, airline financial management, cargo and logistics, business process outsourcing, IT consulting and systems integration as well as customer relationship management and loyalty. From its Dubai base Mercator also provides the Emirates Group with the full range of business technologies it requires. Mercator employs over 1,500 business technology professionals and has an increasing number of partnerships with leading IT software, hardware and systems development organisations.

About Grupo Aeroméxico
Grupo Aeroméxico is comprised of four different affiliates: Aeroméxico, Mexico's largest transcontinental airline, Aeroméxico Connect, charter airline Aeroméxico Travel and EMA, the Group's airline maintenance company. Its fleet includes 777, 767, 737, and MD80 aircraft and next generation Embraer 145 and 190 aircraft. Grupo Aeroméxico operates its main hub out of Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport. The Group operates over 500 daily flights to different destinations in Mexico, the United States, Central and South America, and Europe and Asia.

Aeroméxico is a founding member of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering 13 members which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. SkyTeam offers its passengers mileage accrual and redemption benefits, global flights and connections with one single check-in process for the entire flight. The alliance serves its more than 393 million annual passengers through its worldwide system that includes more than 13,000 daily flights to 884 destinations in 169 countries.