ABU DHABI, Seeking ways to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, experts and decision-makers from 190 countries will gather in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6 to 18, 2022, for the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), to address threats posed by climate change.
Climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond national borders. It is an issue that requires international cooperation and coordinated solutions at all levels.
To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris reached a breakthrough on 12 December 2015: the historic Paris Agreement.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, 194 countries agreed to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which represent their individual emissions reduction targets. The Agreement sets long-term goals to guide all nations:
-Substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius while pursuing efforts to limit the increase even further to 1.5 degrees;
-Review countries’ commitments every five years; and
-Provide financing to developing countries to mitigate climate change, strengthen resilience and enhance abilities to adapt to climate impacts.
The UAE has a proven track record in climate action and multilateral cooperation. It is the permanent host country for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); the first country in the region to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement, and the first in the region to commit to an economy-wide reduction in emissions.
The UAE has a pioneering course of action for the environment since its establishment in the early seventies of the last century, in addition to 33 years of climate action that began with its signing of the the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (the Montreal Protocol) in 1989.
In 1995, the UAE joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate (UNFCCC) to participate in the international movement for climate action. In 2005, the UAE ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Convention on Climate Change, becoming one of the first major oil-producing countries to do so and opted for implementing actions to slash its carbon emissions, including monitoring and tracking GHG emissions and assessing policies related to them. In addition, the UAE is committed to expanding the role of low-carbon technologies in the economy and investing in renewable energy and nuclear power.
The UAE was the first Middle Eastern nation to ratify the 2015 Paris Agreement and commit to lowering its carbon emissions.
In 2006, the UAE took a major milestone in its environment and climate journey, launching the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) as a UAE global model for clean energy, sustainable and urban development.
The Masdar Initiative underscores twin commitments to the global environment and diversification of the UAE’s economy and focuses on the development and commercialisation of technologies in renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon management and monetisation, water usage and desalination.
Reflecting the UAE’s commitment to sustainability, climate action and deployment of clean energy solutions, the UAE became the seat of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2009, which opened its permanent headquarters in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City in June 2015.
Over the past years, the UAE has been staunch supporter to the Agency’s efforts to spread and use renewable energy solutions globally and has worked through a partnership between the Agency and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to support a number of developing countries to finance the establishment of renewable energy projects with a value of $350 million.
The UAE’s ambitions have gone beyond deployment of clean energy solutions to adopt the latest global trends in energy production by launching the green hydrogen project, the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa region and a key enabler in supporting the UAE’s efforts to achieve global competitiveness in the green hydrogen market.
The UAE submitted its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC Secretariat in 2015 after signing the Paris Agreement, and the second NDC report in 2020. In August 2022, the UAE Cabinet approved an updated version of the UAE’s second NDC under the Paris Agreement. In support of the objectives of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, the document outlines the country’s increased climate target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 31 percent compared to the business-as-usual scenario for the year 2030, which is projected to amount to 301 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), assuming a moderate annual economic growth rate based on historical trends.
During its participation in the 2022 Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), which will begin on Sunday, 6th November, the UAE will showcase its achievements in the areas of climate action, energy transition and diplomatic campaigns to support international climate action, as well as its preparations to host COP28 next year. The UAE has a rich record of achievements in climate action, which it considers an opportunity to help find practical solutions to this global issue that affects everyone, in line with its efforts aimed at diversifying its economy and improving the skills of the youth.
As part of the UAE delegation to COP27 in Egypt, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) will unveil new initiatives that enhance the country’s efforts to protect the planet and face the challenge of climate change, including carbon reduction in all sectors, enhancing the participation of the private sector, expanding reliance on nature-based solutions internationally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and developing and expanding the climate research and development system.
The UAE has also finalised the draft federal law on climate change, which will represent the federal framework and umbrella regulating standards and mechanisms for action for climate at the state level.
The upcoming COP28 will be held at Expo City Dubai. The meeting of world leaders in November 2023 will try to find solutions to the threats posed by climate change.
Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said on Twitter the UAE is ready to deliver a meeting that mobilises countries to boost their efforts to fight climate change.
“Hosting this global gathering will provide us with a prime opportunity to involve our most dynamic segment of society – our youth – in the meetings and negotiations that will ultimately ensure a sustainable future for generations to come,” she said.
COP28 focuses on key pillars, including the implementation of climate commitments and pledges, inclusion, working together to take concrete action and identifying solutions that contribute to overcoming challenges, and seizing opportunities to ensure a sustainable future for present and future generations.
COP28 represents a moment of vital significance as the world seeks to maximise progress since the Paris Agreement. The conference will witness a critical stocktaking moment for climate action under the Paris Agreement, in addition to defining future Nationally Determined Contributions.
With Egypt hosting COP27, the UAE is committed to working closely with the host government to accelerate global progress in climate action and adapting to the repercussions of climate change.
Source: Emirates News Agency
