COP28 President urges nations to act on the UAE Consensus for climate goals.

Photo:  Dubai Government Media Office

In an address at the Pre-COP opening session, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President, emphasized that the UAE Consensus is a crucial roadmap for realizing the goals of the Paris Agreement. He called for nations to “unite, act, and deliver” at COP29 in Baku, building upon the achievements from last year’s conference.

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Pre-COP, which is currently taking place in Baku, serves as a preparatory meeting for ministers and negotiators ahead of COP29 next month. While acknowledging the unresolved issues, Dr. Al Jaber highlighted that finance would be a key focus. He stated, “Finance was a cornerstone of the UAE Consensus,” referencing the established “triple A” framework aimed at making finance more available, accessible, and affordable.

He stressed that the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance, set to be adopted at COP29, must facilitate the implementation of the UAE Consensus. Dr. Al Jaber asserted that the agreed funding should adequately address the challenges posed by climate change, emphasizing that vulnerable communities must be prioritized to enhance climate resilience and recovery efforts. He also called for all previous pledges to be honored.

Additionally, he urged delegates to expedite negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which focuses on developing carbon markets. “We need robust, high-integrity carbon markets that drive investments in both mitigation and adaptation – and we need them now,” he stated.

Dr. Al Jaber noted the equal importance of mitigation and adaptation, encouraging Parties to double adaptation finance and fully fund strategies in their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). He pointed to the UAE Framework on Global Climate Resilience, adopted at COP28, as a comprehensive plan to protect nature, lives, and livelihoods.

Regarding mitigation, he urged Parties to adhere to the commitments made at COP28. “The UAE Consensus is the road back to Paris,” he declared, emphasizing that the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), due in February, must align with these agreements to keep the 1.5°C target attainable. He stressed the need for economy-wide approaches covering all greenhouse gases and recognizing climate action as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth.

Dr. Al Jaber noted that implementing the UAE Consensus goal of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency could enable the world to achieve two-thirds of its Paris-aligned targets. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world is on track to add over 5,500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, nearly triple the amount added from 2017 to 2023. However, he cautioned that achieving the goal of tripling capacity this decade would require tripling investments to $1.5 trillion (AED 5.5 trillion) annually, as noted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).