The United Arab Emirates would be hosting COP28 from November 30 to December 12 at the Expo City Dubai. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who has played a key role in shaping the country's clean energy pathway, will serve as the COP President for the first time.
He would be developing the COP28 agenda, in partnership with Simon Stiell, the UNFCCC's executive secretary and Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian COP27 President.
"As the first country in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement, the first to commit to an economy-wide reduction in emissions, and the first to announce a net zero by 2050 strategic initiative, the UAE is committed to raising ambition in this critical decade for climate action," the statement announcing UAE hosting the COP28 said.
Dr Al Jaber is the industry and advanced technology minister of UAE and has served as a special envoy for climate twice (from 2010 to 2016 and from 2020 till present). He has participated in over 10 COPs prior to this.
"He brings to this task two decades of executive business and leadership experience in government, climate policy and across the renewable and conventional energy sectors," the statement said.
He is also the first CEO to ever serve as the COP President. "As the founding CEO of Masdar, he has overseen its mandate to accelerate the adoption of renewables within the UAE, across the region and globally. In his current role as CEO of ADNOC, he is spearheading decarbonising and diversifying the company’s operations and investments in a drive to make today’s energies cleaner, while investing in the clean energies of tomorrow," he said.
Commenting on his presidency, he said that the UAE's approach towards COP28 comes with a strong sense of responsibility. "In cooperation with the UNFCCC and the COP27 Presidency, we will champion an inclusive agenda that ramps up action on mitigation, encourages a just energy transition that leaves no one behind, ensures substantial, affordable climate finance is directed to the most vulnerable, accelerates funding for adaptation and builds out a robust funding facility to address loss and damage," he said.
Dr Al Jaber believes that climate action is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth. "Finance is the key that can unlock climate action and the UAE is committed to supporting and facilitating the review of the international financial institutions to scale up public financing, leverage private finance and improve access,” he said.
He added that the country would be realistic and have a solutions-oriented approach that delivers progress for the climate and low carbon economic growth. "As a nation at the crossroads of the globe, the UAE is well-positioned to build bridges, foster consensus and bring the world together in one shared mission to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius alive and protect the planet for the generations who will follow us," he said.
Dr Al Jaber also said that COP28 would undertake the first ever Global Stocktale (GST) since the Paris Agreement. "It will provide the foundation to build momentum for this and future COPs and the UAE will look for an ambitious outcome in response to the GST from the negotiation process. This will be a critical moment to mobilize political will to respond to what the science tells us will need to be achieved to remain on target and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050,” he said.
