The UAE wants to see no let-up in global climate ambitions at Cop29, a senior official has said, as leaders, government officials and environmental activists from around the world prepare to meet for the UN talks in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22.
The COP29 Presidency has called for increased ambition in both mitigation and adaptation, urging countries to submit “ambitious, comprehensive and robust” Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
When initial efforts to operationalize the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) had stalled, the two-year Glasgow–-Sharm-el-Sheikh work program was launched in 2021. This work programme led to the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, which in turn initiated the two-year UAE-Belém work program on indicators for measuring adaptation progress.
Also in 2023, Parties invited the Adaptation Committee, in collaboration with the Consultative Group of Experts and the Least Developed Countries Expert Group, to support the implementation of the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience with technical guidance and training materials.
Abdulla Balalaa, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, said that the world sealed an ambitious agreement at the crucial Cop28 talks in Dubai last year and now the focus needed to turn to implementation, with scaling up climate finance at the heart of this approach.
“Cop29 will be a finance Cop,” Mr Balalaa said. “If we are serious about climate action – and if there is no finance to support that action agenda – then we will not solve the problem and eventually not keep the 1.5ºC goal within reach.
Mr Balalaa noted that the increasing prevalence of extreme weather events was at the heart of the UAE’s drive towards an “open to business” fund being finalised by Cop29, to get the money out to those who need it most.
Water is also expected to be a central part of Cop29. Climate change and water are linked to patterns such as rising seas and droughts and these are particularly important for the UAE.
The Cop28 deal - known as the UAE Consensus - also included pledges to transition away from fossil fuels and triple renewable energy along with the galvanising of more than $80 billion in climate finance. He said the UAE was “walking the talk” and is investing in renewable energy across the world.
Cop29 takes place amid a challenging geo-political landscape including wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Mr Balalaa said the impact of climate change is happening regardless of these conflicts.
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