His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, today participated in a panel session titled COP26 – a Crucial Stepping Stone on the Path to a Sustainable Global Recovery as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
Highlighting the importance of the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26), set to run in Glasgow in November, the Minister said: “With the aim of helping the international community emerge from the COVID-19 crisis more climate-resilient, the upcoming COP26 represents a timely opportunity for leaders to resume climate negotiations and work on a shared vision for raising climate ambition in the context of a green recovery.”
He added: “Throughout the tough times posed by COVID-19, the UAE has remained dedicated to accelerating its transition to a green economy as part of its recovery plans, and has taken great strides along this path. We have moved forward with our renewables projects, launched the first reactor of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, and submitted our second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), where we pledge to increase our clean power capacity, including solar and nuclear, to 14 GW by 2030 – a remarkable progress from 125 MW in 2015. We also committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 23.5 percent compared to business as usual for the year 2030.”
In closing, His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi noted that the next stage provides a unique window of opportunity to promote an inclusive, green recovery that balances sustainability with economic growth. He encouraged participants to ensure that by the time they get to Glasgow, they have the momentum to implement rapid, far-reaching climate action on the ground.
Joining His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi in the session were His Excellency Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Yannick Glemarec, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund, and Clover Hogan, Founder and Executive Director of Force of Nature. The discussion focused on leveraging COP26 to ensure bold, robust climate action.