UAE appoints Al Jaber as president-designate for COP28

 Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has been appointed as the President-designate for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported on Thursday.

Al Jaber's appointment came under the directive of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the PresPhotoidential court, especially at a time when the world is dealing with difficulties related to energy, food, and water security.

The declaration highlights the UAE's leadership in climate action in the area and its function as a global proponent of renewable energy.

Notably, Al Jaber is Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), has served as Special Envoy for Climate Change for two terms (2010-2016, 2020-present), and played a proactive participatory role at over ten COPs, including the historic Paris COP21 in 2015.

He was instrumental in establishing the nation's renewable energy trajectory, making him the first CEO to ever hold the position of COP President. As the founding CEO of Masdar, he has overseen its mandate to accelerate the adoption of renewables within the UAE, across the region, and globally.

The UAE has spent more than USD 50 billion in renewable energy projects across 70 nations, with plans to invest at least another USD 50 billion over the next ten years. It is home to three of the largest and most affordable solar installations in the world, the state media agency, WAM reported.

Dedicated to enhancing ambition in this crucial decade for climate action as the first nation in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement, UAE was the first nation to commit to a reduction in emissions across the economy, and the first to declare a Net Zero by 2050 strategic strategy.

Following the official announcement of the UAE as the host of COP28, a National Higher Committee was formed on June 23, 2022, to oversee preparations for the conference. The Committee is chaired by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and includes senior officials from several authorities, according to WAM.

Al Jaber is the Vice Chairman of the Committee that is responsible for supervising COP28 preparations through a comprehensive and integrated plan in line with the UAE's focus on sustainable development, collaboration, and cooperation with the international community.

Shamma Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Razan Al Mubarak, the President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will join Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber's COP28 UAE team as the Youth Climate Champion and UN Climate Change High-Level Champion, WAM reported.

The UAE will host the annual climate summit at Expo City, Dubai, from November 30-December 12, 2023, the official statement of the state media agency read.

The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) was held at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt from November 6-18 in 2022 in an effort to build on previous successes and pave the way for effectively tackling global climate change.

The COP27 summit was crucial in the backdrop of several extreme weather events like typhoons in Bangladesh, unprecedented floods in Pakistan, heatwaves in Europe, wildfires in North America, dry rivers in China, and droughts in Africa.