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As Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2023 unfolds, all eyes will be on key sustainability priorities ahead of the UAE’s presidency of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28).
As the UAE’s global initiative to accelerate sustainable development, ADSW will enable impactful dialogue among global stakeholders and policymakers on practical, climate-friendly and pro-growth solutions to achieve a net-zero future.
Much like ADSW 2023, COP28 will focus on inclusive dialogue, bringing together governments, scientists, the private sector, youth and civil society to work together to find realistic and pragmatic solutions. This focus on inclusive dialogue and pragmatism was exemplified last week by the appointment of Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the UAE’s special envoy for climate change, as COP28 president-designate. As Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and founding Chairman of Masdar Clean Energy, Al Jaber has several positions in government and business, climate policy, and renewable and conventional energy. Ten years of diverse leadership experience in the department. He has been an active participant in more than 10 COPs, is results-oriented and deeply involved in the COP process.
COP28 will conclude the first Global Stocktake (GST) – an audit that will show the gap between stated climate goals and reality. Through the GST, COP28 will examine how the world can meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100.
To this end, COP28 will provide a clear and convincing roadmap for climate adaptation, the global energy transition, and the Loss and Damage Fund.
COP28 is conceived as the UAE’s ‘COP for Solutions’, with a focus on achieving global stocktaking and global adaptation goals, as well as achieving tangible outcomes for enhanced global action to address climate impacts.
COP28 will aim to strengthen the voices of underrepresented and vulnerable communities while forging consensus on better, more efficient and equitable access to climate finance to accelerate the deployment of climate solutions around the world, especially in the global South.
The climatic conditions in the Gulf region give the UAE a unique understanding of climate change as a challenge to be tackled in cooperation with the entire international community. As the first Gulf state to ratify the Paris Agreement, the first to commit to reducing emissions economy-wide and the first to announce a strategic initiative to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the UAE is committed to A decade of raising ambition for climate action. Over the past 16 years, the UAE has invested US$50 billion in building renewable infrastructure in more than 70 countries. Today, it operates three of the largest and lowest-cost solar farms in the world. Over the next ten years, the UAE will invest at least another US$50 billion in domestic and foreign clean energy projects to provide citizens and residents with 14 gigawatts of clean electricity by 2030.
The UAE is also looking to a clean energy future – hydrogen, a zero-carbon fuel. Through its investments and partnerships with countries such as India, the UAE aims to become a competitive global hydrogen supplier and expand the hydrogen value chain. The UAE’s commitment to clean energy investment is clearly in line with India’s plan to increase installed renewable energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030. India has achieved 166.36 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by the end of November 2022, and the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates that at least $29.9 billion in investment is needed to reach the 500 GW target. The UAE remains a natural partner for such investments.
In addition to energy investments, the UAE is also pursuing “natural carbon capture”. A very specific example is the UAE’s commitment to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030. Mangroves act as natural carbon sinks, capturing more carbon per hectare than tropical rainforests. In addition to carbon capture, mangroves offer the added benefit of preventing coastal erosion and encouraging biodiversity, representing a practical solution needed for climate change.
Through the establishment of the Mangrove Climate Alliance (MAC), the UAE is working closely with Indonesia to promote the role of mangroves in curbing global warming worldwide. India joined the MAC initiative as a partner at COP27 and we look forward to increased collaboration in restoring the blue carbon ecosystem. Even as we accelerate the implementation of the UAE’s 2050 Net Zero Emissions Strategic Plan, the interim role of oil and gas is clearly understood. Based on geology and design, the UAE’s hydrocarbons are among the lowest in the world in terms of carbon emissions. The nation is committed to reducing the carbon intensity of its operations by a further 25% over the next decade, and our unique low-carbon energy capabilities will support the decarbonization transition of global industry.
As COP chair, the UAE is keenly aware of its responsibility to bring the international community together. We recognize that climate action cannot be achieved alone; it requires bilateral and multilateral partnerships built on shared opportunities for growth. India recently ranked among the top five in the world for climate change performance, demonstrating the power of public-private partnerships.
Additionally, our two countries’ cooperation in renewable energy deployment, agricultural efficiency, green hydrogen, sustainable finance and carbon market development makes India a key partner for the UAE’s COP presidency.
The author is the UAE Ambassador to India
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