Bringing the
world together

COP28 UAE brings the world together at a critical moment for global transformative climate action. To deliver on its ambitious agenda, COP28 will be inclusive, transparent, pragmatic, and results-oriented.

WHAT IS COP?

A critical moment in global transformative climate action

In the three decades since the Rio Summit and the launch of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP) has convened member countries every year to determine ambition and responsibilities, and identify and assess climate measures. The 21st session of the COP (COP21) led to the Paris Agreement, which mobilized global collective action to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2100, and to act to adapt to the already existing effects of climate change.

COP28 President-Designate G20 Ministerial-Chennai Remarks

COP28 President-Designate urges G20 nations to lead the way and demonstrate solidarity on climate action

  • There is still time for the G20 to show leadership, and I am calling on all of you to work with your leaders to drive global climate action in this critical decade.
  • Right now, many of the indicators are going in the wrong direction. Temperature records continue to be broken, with this month officially recorded as the hottest in history.
  • We are losing biodiversity. Agricultural land is being degraded. And food insecurity is increasing.
  • If we are going to make progress on adaptation, we first have to define what success looks like in terms of stopping biodiversity loss, restoring agricultural land, preserving forests, protecting coastlines, ensuring no-one goes hungry and safeguarding lives and livelihoods everywhere.
  • G20 nations should make transformation of food systems a top priority.
  • Your national adaptation plans and strategies should promote sustainable land use, leverage technologies to increase crop resilience, enhance nutrition and reduce the climate impacts of farming.
  • Doubling adaptation finance by 2025 is a critical first step but we need to look at directing a solid proportion of all climate finance toward adaptation responses.
  • Yet we must acknowledge that many vulnerable countries - in particular small island developing states and least developed countries - are already experiencing consequences of climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to.

THE UAE’S PROVEN
TRACK RECORD ON
CLIMATE ACTION

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.

Our 2015 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) made us the first country in the region to commit to an economy-wide reduction in emissions by 2030, and we launched the National Net Zero by 2050 Pathway in November 2022, which sets the timeframe and identifies the mechanisms to implement the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.

The UAE was one of only 29 countries to submit a revised second NDC ahead of COP27. The enhanced target is expected to translate into an absolute emissions reduction of about 93.2 million metric tons of CO2e.

COP28 LEADERSHIP

Sultan

DR. SULTAN AHMED AL JABER,
PRESIDENT-DESIGNATE FOR COP28 UAE

Dr. Al Jaber is the first CEO to ever serve as COP President and brings with him sound business acumen, a deep understanding of economics and leverages his decades-long experience in the energy sector, encompassing both renewable and traditional energies. During his double tenure as Special Envoy for Climate Change (2010- 2016, 2020-present), Dr. Al Jaber has played a seminal role in shaping the country’s clean energy path, including as founding CEO and currently the Chairman of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s pioneering renewable energy initiative, that has since become a leading global clean energy player. Dr. Al Jaber has also been an outcomes-focused participant at over 11 COPs, including the historic Paris COP21 in 2015. Upon joining Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) as its CEO, Dr. Al Jaber has spearheaded a $15 billion decarbonization strategy and new low-carbon solutions business.

Learn more about Dr. Sultan Al Jaber’s initiatives and priorities on his official website.

shamma

H.E. SHAMMA AL MAZRUI,
UAE, YOUTH CLIMATE CHAMPION

The Youth Climate Champion role is designed to amplify the work of youth-led and youth-focused organizations within the COP process. H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development, will be the first-ever Youth Climate Champion with a Ministerial role. She will be responsible for engaging with youth globally in the lead-up to, and during, COP28 UAE. This will include working with local and global stakeholders to provide capacity-building opportunities for youth, as well as mechanisms to fund youth innovations in the field. H.E. Al Mazrui is also the Vice Chair of the Arab Youth Center, the Secretary General of the Education and Human Resources Council, Chairperson for Special Olympics UAE, and President of the National Center for Education Quality.
razan

H.E. RAZAN AL MUBARAK,
UN CLIMATE CHANGE HIGH-LEVEL CHAMPION

As UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, H.E. Razan Al Mubarak will mobilize the private sector and civil society, along with driving efforts to address the climate and nature crises together. The role of the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion is focused on engaging state and non-state actors, including cities and sub-regional governments, indigenous peoples, civil society, and private sector partners. Al Mubarak will draw upon her experience as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Managing Director of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Managing Director of Emirates Nature-WWF to ensure progress on biodiversity, conservation, and nature-based solutions.

BLUE ZONE

The Blue Zone is a UNFCCC managed site, open to accredited party and observer delegates. It hosts the formal negotiations across the two weeks of the conference, as well as the World Climate Action Summit, the country pavilions, presidency events and hundreds of side events including panel discussions, round tables, and cultural events.

GREEN ZONE

The Green Zone is free-of-charge and open to everyone. It is a space managed and delivered by the COP28 UAE Presidency. The Green Zone offers a platform to non-accredited delegates, including youth groups, civil society, NGOs, the private sector, and indigenous groups to have their voices heard, promoting dialogue and awareness about climate action. Further information on programmed events will made available once finalized.

THEMATIC PROGRAM

The COP28 Presidency has announced its two-week thematic program, geared towards real world solutions that close the gaps to 2030 and respond to the Global Stocktake. The Presidency has taken an innovative and inclusive approach to the COP28 thematic program, as the first Presidency to hold an open consultation on thematic areas and sequencing.

The program highlights the sectors and topics raised by stakeholders during consultations, including the themes which need to be part of the COP agenda each year, and new, essential topics like health, trade and relief, recovery, and peace. The thematic days programming incorporates four cross-cutting themes that underpin effective, interconnected delivery: Technology & Innovation, Inclusion, Frontline Communities and Finance.

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