Category: Industry

Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, stressed that the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) is a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change.

Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of COP28 that the conference marks a critical moment for his country and the world. “The conference will guide developed countries on how they can contribute to solving this global issue.”

He underscored the importance of the UAE’s contribution to supporting the efforts of other countries to address climate change, pointing to the UAE’s contribution to the Loss and Damage Fund and other contributions in this context.

He said that what the UAE has done is an example of constructive cooperation in this regard, and reflects the importance of the support provided by capable countries to less capable countries, especially developing countries and least developed countries, to help them address the
challenges and implications of climate change.

Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas said that climate change is not a problem for one country or another, but a real threat to us and the whole world. “Therefore, we must protect our climate from all these challenges for the future.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste explained that his country believes that cooperation with the UAE in climate action is of great importance, noting that they are now in the process of holding further discussions and coordination on what can be done together in the future.

He concluded by expressing his aspirations of the inclusion of more mechanisms for coordination at the policy level, adding that his country looks forward to developing cooperation with the UAE in various sectors and fields.

Source: Emirates News Agency

The ‘COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action’ supports the comprehensive development of food systems and the provision of sustainable agricultural solutions.

The 134 signatory countries to the Declaration are home to over 5.7 billion people and almost 500 million farmers, produce 70 percent of the food we eat, and are responsible for 76 percent of all emissions from global food systems or 25 percent of total emissions globally.

Also announced was the mobilisation of more than US$2.5 billion in funding to support food security while combatting climate change with transitioning 160 million hectares to regenerative agriculture by 2030.

The Declaration, which brings together several parties, including Indonesia, the European Union, Tanzania and others, is a key step to addressing both global emissions and protecting the lives and livelihoods of farmers living on the frontline of climate change.

By signing the Declaration, these countries commit to aligning
their nationally determined contributions, national adaptation plans, and biodiversity strategies with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement on food systems.

The crucial initiatives and projects launched at COP28 are an example of the global efforts to transition to renewable food systems, including a $200 million partnership between the UAE and the Bill and Melinda Gates for Food Systems, Agriculture Innovation and Climate Action, focused on agricultural research, scaling agricultural innovations and funding technical assistance for implementing the Declaration.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, praised the efforts of the UAE in hosting the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the now-running global event, he said, ‘I congratulate the UAE for organising this highly significant event. The conference has been organised in a highly professional manner, with excellent logistics, and accompanying activities. This is evident from the wide attendance of heads of state and government from around the world.’

He explained that COP28 is a critical event that addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. ‘The conference provides an opportunity for countries to come together and discuss ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change,’ the Polish president added.

President Duda expressed his hope that the UAE-Polish relations will continue to grow and develop in the future. He noted that the two coun
tries have a shared interest in addressing climate change, as well as other important issues such as economic cooperation and trade.

In response to a question about ways to address climate change, he said, ‘We must not stop our activities aimed at protecting the climate, and we must modernise our energy industries. This is certainly the most important task facing us now.’

‘While Poland enjoys a temperate climate, it’s not blessed with constant sunshine or wind. Rain and breezes come and go, making wind and solar power inconsistent sources. We need to find stable alternatives.’

He continued: ‘We are a large European country with a population of 38 million. This means that our energy needs are enormous. We also have energy-intensive industries in our country, and we need to make sure that these energy needs are met for everyone. So, if we want to protect the climate, we need to use nuclear energy in Poland. This is also one of the topics we discussed during COP28.’

President Duda considered that the develop
ment of renewable energy sources is very important for Poland, saying they must form an increasingly growing proportion of their energy mix. He added, ‘We must rely on nuclear energy sources in our energy production, and we have already started building a nuclear power plant.’

Source: Emirates News Agency

In the presence of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, AD Ports Group has signed an agreement with Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC (Kazakhstan Railways), a national railway company and a leader in transportation and logistics in Central Asia, to form a joint venture (JV) to enhance rail connectivity, maritime shipping services, development of operations in Kazakhstan’s ports, accelerate digital transformation and connectivity in Central Asia.

Under the terms of the agreement, a joint venture, owned 51 percent by AD Ports Group and 49 percent by KTZ, will aim to establish a dynamic regional logistics hub, leveraging AD Ports Group’s expertise in management, operations, and development of logistics operations and digital transformation, in addition to leveraging Kazakhstan Railways’ regional knowledge and practices for advanced vessel operations, logistics enhancement, including hopper wagons, port developments, and railway infrastructure expansion. The ambitious initiative aligns with
AD Ports Group’s and KTZ’s objective of transforming the regional logistics landscape.

Abdulaziz Zayed Al-Shamsi, Regional CEO of AD Ports Group, said, ‘Our joint venture with Kazakhstan Railways has the potential to not only strengthen maritime connectivity between the Middle East and Central Asia, but also opens up new trade routes, making it easier and more efficient to move goods across these two regions. We see this enhanced connectivity leading to increased trade volumes for the benefit of the global maritime industry. Additionally, by leveraging our combined strengths, we are set to create a thriving regional economy, which will have a positive impact on the global maritime industry through increased demand for shipping and logistics services.’

Yerlan Koishibayev Deputy CEO for Logistics of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC (Kazakhstan Railways), said, ‘The new joint venture will focus on expanding port infrastructure on the Caspian Sea, creating trade hubs and bringing advanced digital technologies. Cooper
ation between Kazakhstan Railways and AD Ports Group will contribute to the development of transport and transit potential of Kazakhstan, increase export directions and create a market for Kazakhstani goods in the Arabian Gulf countries.’

The joint venture will be implemented in phases, with both entities collaborating to develop maritime electronic systems, vessel operations, port and trade development, in addition to railway infrastructure expansion. These ambitious plans promise to transform the global logistics landscape, enhance trade flows and maritime efficiency, and propel the Central Asia region into a new era of economic growth and logistical excellence.

Source: Emirates News Agency

William Ruto, President of Kenya, and the UAE have joined to convene African Heads of State and other prominent personalities in a landmark event at COP28 to accelerate Africa’s Green Industrialisation.

The launch event was attended by the Heads of State for Angola, Burundi, Djibouti, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President; Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt; Principals from leading green developers as well as industry, multilateral development banks, and key institutions from across the UAE and Africa.

Kenya’s Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative aims to accelerate and scale green industries and businesses across Africa, promote climate mitigation and adaptation, and catalyze economic green growth on the continent.

In his remarks, President Ruto underscored that “the Initiative marks a concrete step toward the realisation of the Nairobi Declarati
on, activating private sector-led scaling-up of green industrial clusters.”

African leaders unequivocally embraced the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative as the definitive pathway for their nations’ developments. Leaders discussed their plans to activate end-to-end socioeconomic transformation through the rapid growth of green industrial clusters, the strong role of regional and global export markets for value added green products and technologies, crucial for global clean energy value chain.

‘We are forging a green pathway for Africa. Through strategic collaborations with industrial and energy developers across the continent, we have set in motion a virtuous cycle, fostering economic growth and sustainable job creation,’ stated, Macky Sall, President of Senegal.

The initiative of the Kenyan President underscores the importance of green industrialisation to harness the African continent’s vast and high-quality resources to secure prosperity for all. Attendees at the event also stressed that Africa’s
green industrialisation is critical for the achievement of the world’s collective climate ambitions.

COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber lauded the initiative as an opportunity to elevate the ambition of the COP28 Presidency’s Clean Energy program launched at Africa Climate Summit. ‘The UAE not only wants to support countries’ green industrialisation: we want populations in those countries to have access to high-quality jobs and opportunities. This is the spirit of green industrialisation.’

He further emphasised that the challenge the African continent faces is not in the scarcity of resources but in the scarcity of ‘action”.

Participants at the event witnessed the strong progress of the US$4.5 billion Africa Green Investment initiative, launched during this year’s African Climate Summit in Nairobi. Spearheaded by UAE’s Masdar, AMEA Power, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and Etihad Credit Insurance, with Africa50 as the strategic partner, this initiative has already allocated nearly US$2.6 billion for gree
n energy projects in 8 countries that will add about 1.8 GW of clean power to the African grid.

During the event, attendees learned of the UAE-led initiative’s project pipeline. Initiative’s partners also made several ambitious announcements that will not only contribute to clean energy generation, but also stimulate green growth and economic diversification, marking significant strides in Africa’s journey towards green industrialisation.

Among announcements were Masdar’s plans to develop a 150MW solar power plant in southern Angola, a milestone project in Masdar’s wider commitment to deliver 2GW of renewable energy in the country. As the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company, Masdar is also exploring a collaboration with International Resource Holding, an affiliate of Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company, to decarbonise mining operations across the continent, starting with Zambia. AMEA Power announced, amongst other projects, a 300MW onshore wind power project in Ethiopia, the first IPP project in t
he country. They also announced the expansion of the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed 70MW solar PV project to 100MW, including 4MWh of battery storage in Togo. Finally, the company is also developing a 1 GW green hydrogen project in Mauritania.

Africa50, the strategic partner to the Africa Green Investment initiative, announced three projects to be developed in Mozambique amounting to 260MW of clean power including the first utility scale floating solar project in Africa, together with 400km of high voltage transmission lines enabling green power generation.

COP28 President and President Ruto sent out a strong call to action for more countries and partners to join the two initiatives, laying the foundation for sustainable growth at the heart of Africa’s economic future.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, has welcomed global trade leaders to the Trade House pavilion at the COP28 in Dubai’s Expo City, marking the first time that trade has been incorporated into the official programme of the global climate conference.

Held under the COP28 Presidency and in collaboration with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Trade House pavilion is set to host a number of vital conversations in COP28’s Blue Zone on the role of trade in achieving the Paris climate accords, featuring an extensive and influential group of policymakers, NGOs and trade professionals.

Speaking during the opening session of the Trade Pavilion were Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO; Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD; Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of International Trade Centre, and John W.
H. Denton AO, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce.

They each restated the central role of trade in the global climate debate and highlighted its potential to enhance access to green products, sustainable services and technologies, promote economic opportunities for developing countries, and encourage energy transition throughout global value chains.

During his opening remarks, Al Zeyoudi emphasised the centrality of trade to the global economy and by extension, its importance to efforts in mitigating the impact of climate change. ‘It is imperative to discuss sustainability and climate action with the inclusion of trade – a sector that has remained a consistent source of much of our collective prosperity. Now, worth more than US$25 trillion to the global economy, and with nations pursuing growth strategies based on the global exchange of goods and services, trade must be part of the climate conversation,’ he said.

‘It is exactly for this reason the COP28 Presidency has placed the conc
ept of trade front and centre of the global climate debate, and why for the first time we are seeing a pavilion dedicated to trade at the world’s leading climate conference. I look forward to witnessing the discussions, conversations and launch events that will take place over the coming fortnight and working together to upgrade the global trading system and enhance its contribution to our climate ambitions.’

The Trade House pavilion will feature more than 40 sessions throughout the conference, covering various topics aligned with the official COP28 Presidency’s thematic days. Session topics include waste management, circular economy, border carbon fees, food systems, zero-emission maritime and stock exchanges.

The launch of the Trade House pavilion comes ahead of the first-ever Trade Day at COP28, focusing the conference’s attention on the sector with a full programme of events, activations and sessions on Monday, 4th December. This includes the Sustainable Trade Forum hosted by the Ministry of Economy.

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ource: Emirates News Agency