The UAE today welcomed the announcement by the League of Arab States (LAS) that it would endorse the country’s offer to host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) in Abu Dhabi in 2023. The move follows a similar endorsement by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on 24th May, WAM states.
The LAS decision was taken at a ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council, in Cairo last Thursday. A draft resolution with a recommendation to support the UAE’s offer was assigned to the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States to present to the Council of Arab Ministers responsible for environmental affairs.
The UAE bid – submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat last May – focuses on the economic case for climate action and underscores the country’s long-standing commitment to investing in renewables and low carbon technology, both domestically and across the world.
Fifteen years ago, the UAE placed climate action at the centre of its economic growth and diversification strategy. Today, it operates three of the largest and lowest-cost solar plants in the world. It is the first country in the Middle East to operate zero-carbon nuclear power and the first MENA country to pioneer carbon capture, utilization and storage technology to decarbonize heavy industry. To date, the UAE has invested around US$16.8 bn in renewable energy ventures across 70 countries.
As host to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UAE has championed public-private partnerships for climate action and held preparatory meetings for both the UN’s last climate summits in 2014 and 2019. In April this year the UAE co-founded the AIM for Climate initiative – with the USA – to increase and accelerate global innovation on agriculture and food systems for climate action.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, said, “Climate change is the issue of our age. Given that the Arab region is likely to be among the parts of the world most impacted by climate change, we hope, with the support of all of us, that the UAE wins its nomination to host COP28 in 2023. We look forward to this and to Egypt’s presidency of COP27 next year.”
The League of Arab States, also known as the Arab League, was formed in Cairo in 1945. It has 22 members, and its main goal is to draw closer the relations between member states and coordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries.
