The UAE has received significant international support in its bid to host the all-important summit on climate, COP28 in 2023, as it continues to bring its innovative policies and initiatives to the world stage to play its part in the global efforts to combat global warming.
The latest initiative is a truly pioneering joint venture with the United States that offers life changing solutions and substantial action on climate in the agriculture sector.
With a capital of $4 billion, of which $1 billion is contributed by the UAE, the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) aims to boost investment in technological and innovation solutions to support the growth of this critical sector while at the same time helping in reducing the impact on climate.
Why the agriculture sector? Because along the industrial sector, it is a key contributor to global warming as it is responsible for at least 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the sector, which employs nearly 2 billion people worldwide, is the leading victim of global warming henceforth humanity’s food security is at a greater risk.
AIM for Climate
AIM for Climate thus seeks to bring about a collective effort to support investment in this sector to combat both climate change and the increasing food shortage. So far, 30 countries have supported the initiative in addition to leading non-governmental organisations.
“AIM for Climate is focusing on a sector that has been previously overlooked in terms of the opportunities it offers for global climate action,” Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Special Envoy for Climate Change said on Tuesday.
His US counterpart, John Kerry noted that investment in climate-smart agriculture innovation is critical to addressing the climate crisis because “innovation can reduce emissions, feed the world’s growing population, and help farmers and ranchers mitigate and adapt to climate change.”
With these type of influential moves, along with another bold plan announced last week on the eve of the ongoing COP26 in Glasgow by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve Net Zero emissions by the year 2050 with Dh600 billion ($163.37 billion) investment in clean and renewable energy sources, the UAE will be naturally the right place to host the 2023 COP28.
This is a significant meeting as it will be the place to review the commitment of all countries that signed the key 2015 Paris Agreement. And that is exactly why the Asia Pacific group of nations on Tuesday endorsed the UAE’s application to host the important summit.
The UAE, the leading advanced and innovation-based economy in this part of the world, is now playing its role in putting that experience to work in the interests of humanity as the world desperately looks for solution to mitigate the risk of global warming.
This ambitious nation, which marks its 50th anniversary next month, offers yet another example to others on how to be a force for peace and prosperity.
