His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, highlighted the UAE’s key milestones in climate action to date during a visit to the South Indian state of Kerala, where he attended the Kerala Literature Festival 2020 as Guest of Honor.
Held under the focus theme ‘Climate Change and the Environment’, Kerala Literature Festival 2020 was held on January 16 and 17 on the beaches of Calicut. It is the second largest cultural gathering and the fastest growing literature festival on the continent.
In his inaugural address, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “The UAE and India enjoy robust and long-standing bilateral trade relations. The volume of trade between our two countries was valued at US$180 million annually in the 1970s, and today accounts for US$60 billion, making India the second largest trading partner of the UAE, while the UAE is India’s third largest trading partner after China and the United States.”
He added: “While trade often defines bilateral relations among nations, India and the UAE share so much more than just economic synergies. Strong cultural and people-to-people ties unite our countries, as do our shared values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. More than 3.3 million Indians call the UAE their home away from home.”
Highlighting the commitment of the two countries to the environment in his keynote speech at the festival, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “Our two nations share a strong sense of responsibility to the environment. They are firm advocates of climate action and sustainability. India’s renewable energy journey has been truly impressive, with the country pledging to generate 40 percent of its power from carbon-free sources by 2030 as part of its commitment to the Paris Agreement. On the sidelines of the landmark COP 21, India and France joined hands to launch the International Solar Alliance, that the UAE is also a part of. The Alliance has since, emerged as a credible platform for ensuring universal energy access and energy equity.”
He added: “Climate change is a living nightmare faced by every country and region in the world today. Some more than the others. It is a fight that every nation must overcome. However, to succeed in our mission, we need to actively involve everyone: governments, businesses, academia, and the public. Climate change knows no boundaries and nor should our efforts in tackling it. I am truly grateful to the organizers for choosing this theme for the current edition of the festival to highlight the deepening climate crisis the world is facing.”
The UAE Minister and His Excellency Dr Ahmed Al Banna, the UAE Ambassador to India, toured Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences, an institution of the Government of Kerala dedicated to the conservation and research on aquatic plant diversity, that also disseminates knowledge on various aspects of plant sciences.
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi also met with the Hon’ble Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala. The two ministers discussed the strong UAE-India ties and explored other areas of cooperation.
Recognizing the role of the private sector in driving the green economy, the UAE Minister met with representatives of leading private sector organizations, including K E Moidu, Managing Director of Peekay Steel Castings, Mehroof I Manalody, Chairman and Managing Director of G-Tec Group of Institutions, Nityanand Kamath, Managing Director of ACE Group, V Abdul Razzak, Managing Director of VKC Group, Vishnu Gopal, Executive Director of Gopal Refineries & Oil Mills, and M A Mehaboob, Managing Director of Secura Investment Management India. M A Yusuff Ali, Chairman and Managing Director of Lulu Group, also attended the meeting.