Dubai: Members of the 100-strong UAE delegation attending the Marrakech, Morocco climate conference say negotiations now under way until November 18 are critical to usher in the next steps of the Paris Agreement that went into force on November 4 to combat global warming.
The global agreement to limit further global temperature increases to less than 1.5 per cent in the century ahead will be explored in coming days as delegates from around the world attend the 22nd session of the Conference of Parties (COP 22) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Delegates are working to find real practical solutions to slashing harmful carbon emissions to head off dire predictions by scientists of higher global temperatures leading to rising sea levels and freak weather patterns.
Shaima Al Aydarous, Climate Change Negotiator with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, told Gulf News from Marrakech that the UAE views the Paris Agreement as a critical stepping stone to protecting the environment.
“The COP22 climate change conference in Marrakech, Morocco is a critical next step in the path to implementing the Paris Agreement. While COP21 was a major milestone in global efforts to address climate change, COP22 will be even more important as world leaders work to develop a detailed implementation plan, turning political momentum from COP21 into worldwide action by 2020,” said Al Aydarous.
“The UAE is a strong supporter of the Paris Agreement and continues to lead in climate action, both regionally and globally. In fact, the UAE was the first country in the GCC region to ratify the Paris Agreement. In moving forward, the UAE aims to serve as an example for countries globally of how the Paris Agreement can be leveraged to create new economic and social opportunities while also protecting the environment,” she said.
Ivano Ianelli, CEO of Dubai Carbon, said all eyes are on the Paris Agreement’s next steps in a global push to save the planet from extremes.
“Our UAE delegation to Marrakech includes representatives from business, youth, academia, media and civil society. We are proud that over 60 per cent of our UNFCCC negotiation team are women. We will showcase the UAE’s experience in creating climate solutions which both reduce emissions and create new social and economic opportunities,” Ianelli told Gulf News.
“The Paris Agreement was adopted in record time and demonstrated a key commitment towards Climate Change. As of today, 94 (of 197) parties have ratified, accounting for 69.21 per cent of global GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions.”
The UAE decision to boost its energy production sourced from a total of 27 per cent renewable energy by 2021 is a prime example of the UAE’s commitment to the fight against global warming, Ianelli said, but more work lies ahead.
“There is still considerable work to be undertaken, as well as all the procedures to implement the mechanisms addressed in the Paris Agreement. This will be COP22 critical path, he said. “The UAE has been instrumental in the establishment of new best practices that support the themes of the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Of notable reference is the fact that not once, but twice the UAE has set a new Global tariff on solar, with the latest phase of the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Solar Park (5000mW by 2030) achieving a tariff of 2.99 US cents.”
Following the Paris Agreement entering into force on November 4, International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) director-general Adnan Z. Ameen said from his agency’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi that a large part of fighting global warming will be done through the world’s transition to renewable energy.
Speaking of the agreement, Ameen said in a statement that “the fact that this happened more quickly than anyone thought possible, sends a clear signal that governments are prepared to take urgent, decisive action. Renewable energy is central to that action, as reflected by its inclusion in the nationally determined contributions of nearly 150 governments”.
“Irena also welcomes the bold commitments made by the private sector, which is further bolstering momentum. But this is only the beginning. Turning commitments into action must start now so that history will view this moment as a watershed for the global energy transition; the moment we rolled up our sleeves and decided to get the job done,” he said.
