UAE To Host The Climate Change Conference COP28 In 2023!

The 28th Session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in line with the UNFCC treaty, has been agreed to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in the year 2023. Though the exact date of the event has not been decided or declared yet, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed has just stated that the Conference of the Parties (COP28) will be the most important event to be hosted by the UAE in 2023.

The COP is a yearly event hosted by different countries that are parties to the UNFCC framework, to discuss various issues pertaining to the global climate change scenario, and to form sustainable strategies aimed at mitigating climate change issues, such as by controlling greenhouse gas emissions, formulating initiatives for harnessing renewable energy, and to promote global investments in sustainable energy/green projects conducive to environmental protection. 

Environmental Awareness In UAE

The COP28 is expected to be a significant event where delegates from various countries, including national representatives, politicians, academicians, scientists, scholars, engineers, top investors, and business personnel will be gathering together to discuss various initiatives that could be employed to combat the pressing danger of global climate change.

The conference is expected to scrutinize the status of multiple initiatives that are already taken and undergoing as a part of the UN mission to combat climate change, and also to evaluate the progress of the active measures taken and to initiate newly wholesome projects. Around 180 to 200 countries are expected to attend the COP28, and the event could further strengthen UAE’s already cordial diplomatic ties with other nations. 

The announcement was made by HH Sheikh Mohammed on Tuesday, at the UAE Government Annual Meetings, a two-day session for high-level government officials. During the session, the minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the UAE’s special envoy for climate change, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber spoke about the importance of UAE hosting this annual event.

He stressed that the UAE’s solid experience in clean energy initiatives had empowered the nation to secure the opportunity to host COP28, achieving the international consensus in 2021. In the past years, the minister said that the UAE had launched several clean energy initiatives worldwide such as solar-powered desalination projects, conducting feasibility studies on low wind speed turbines, etc.

Dr. Jaber said that UAE was the first country in the MENA region to announce a net zero by the year 2050, and had already taken several measures to reduce emissions during the past decades. The UAE has made huge investments in the clean energy and sustainable sectors in different countries, out of which 40 are developing countries, and a recently announced partnership with the US, named PACE, is expected to deliver Around 100GW of clean energy worldwide.

Dr. Jaber also mentioned that preparations are already underway for the grand hosting of COP28 in the UAE. A committee has already been devised to oversee the preparations for the hosting event, headed by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah  Al Nahyan, who is the minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in UAE. Though the exact date of the event is yet to be decided and made formal, it is expected to be around the same time as the UAE national day, according to Dr. Jaber.

He has also stressed the benefits the UAE has, political and economic benefits, in securing the opportunity to host COP28, through finding practical and long-term solutions to the clean energy problem faced by the world. By concluding the session, addressing UAE government officials present at the Annual Meeting, Dr. Jaber called for support and solidarity from both the government and private sectors, and the society at large.