President Sheikh Mohamed noted that COP28 should involve nationwide participation from all sectors of society….reports Asian Lite News
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, were briefed on the latest preparations for hosting COP28, in the presence of members of the Higher Committee overseeing the planning.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: “Since its inception, the UAE has embarked on a journey of transformative change. Sustainable development and climate action are integral parts of our strategy to achieve continued economic and social growth for both present and future generations.”
The President added that the UAE is committed to its role as a global convenor, and in keeping with the approach set by the UAE’s Founding Father, the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, will continue to promote the environmental and economic prosperity of societies around the world, both today and in the future.
Sheikh Mohamed noted that COP28 should involve nationwide participation from all sectors of society, and called on the Higher Committee to encourage stakeholders, from government and the private sector to academia and civil society, to play an active role in the lead-up to COP28.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid reaffirmed the UAE’s approach to climate action through unlocking innovative and viable opportunities for shared prosperity and sustainable development.
The Vice President stressed the critical need to unite the world at COP28 UAE, welcoming participants from around the world to continue the implementation of the UAE’s message of ’Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, who is also the Chairman of the COP28 Higher Committee, reiterated that the UAE, as a nation at the crossroads of the world, is ideally positioned to build bridges between the Global North and the Global South.
He also noted that the UAE can play a constructive role in delivering tangible progress for a climate-secure world with opportunities for sustained socio-economic development. The foreign minister added that COP28 UAE must drive the shift from pledges to concrete actions, and work collaboratively with all stakeholders who want to contribute to action across key climate pillars to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber also provided a summary of the ‘Road to COP28’, the first COP28 Presidency-hosted event.
Held at Expo City Dubai on 15 March, the event enhanced youth engagement and unified the wider community to raise climate change awareness and mobilise all sectors of society in the run-up to COP28. The event welcomed more than 3,000 participants including government officials, foreign diplomats, students, young climate advocates, people of determination, senior citizens and representatives of sustainable businesses.
Earlier, at the conclusion of the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber urged global climate ministers to unite behind “transformational progress” for a COP of Action and a COP for All.
During the two-day event, Dr. Al Jaber worked with Egyptian Foreign Minister and COP27 President Sameh Shoukry and Dan Jørgensen, Danish Minister of Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, to lead efforts to deliver on the meeting’s aim of securing the implementation of the results of COP27 while also setting the course ahead towards COP28 in the UAE later this year.
In his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber reminded ministers and climate leaders of the approaching Global Stocktake at COP28 and urged them to take action across a range of key areas to bring 1.5C within reach.
He said, “Yesterday’s IPCC report highlighted the significant challenges ahead and the urgent need to course correct if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. But more importantly, the report identifies the opportunities and solutions that are available to reduce emissions and enhance resilience.”
Dr. Al Jaber emphasised the need to accelerate pathways to net zero by rapidly adopting renewable and zero carbon energies, decarbonizing the current energy system and investing in proven and new mitigation technologies.