The President-designate of COP28 (the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties), the Emirati Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, underlined on Monday the need for unity and solidarity to tackle the energy problem and fight against change climatic.
“This is a global challenge that calls for global solutions from all stakeholders acting in unity and solidarity,” he said in a keynote speech at CERAWeek, an influential global forum on energy that kicked off Monday in Houston.
“Let’s unite a divided world with a COP of solidarity, a COP of action and a COP for all. We must all move in the same direction. Because there is more energy in unity than in division,” he urged delegates.
COP28 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held later this year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“By 2030, there will be half a billion more people living on Earth, requiring more energy each year. At the same time, the world must reduce emissions by 7% each year to maintain the target. 1.5 degrees,” said Jaber, who is also the chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Asked what he hopes to achieve at COP28, he listed key priorities such as mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage – which means expenditures already incurred due to climate change impacts, climate finance and process innovation.
“We want real results. The world needs to move from treaties to implementation. Solutions are needed inside and outside of formal negotiations,” he recommended.
More than 7,000 participants, including policymakers, industry leaders, business leaders, investors and researchers from more than 80 countries and regions around the world, are expected to attend CERAWeek, according to S&P Global. , the organizer of the event.