Dubai: The League of Arab States (LAS) said 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 May 24.
“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,” said Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.
The LAS decision was taken at a ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council, in Cairo on Thursday, September 2. A draft resolution for the same 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.
The UAE had placed climate action at the center of its economic growth and diversification strategy 15 years ago. It now operates three of the largest and lowest cost solar plants in the world. UAE is the first country in the Middle East to operate zero carbon nuclear power and the first MENA country to pioneer carbon capture, utilisation and storage technology to decarbonize heavy industry. To date, the UAE has invested around $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.
