His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, arrived today in New York to participate in the UN Climate Action Summit, set to run in parallel with the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74).
His Excellency António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, will convene the gathering on September 23 under the theme ‘A Race We Can Win: A Race We Must Win’. The event seeks to mobilize leaders to enhance their countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by 2020 in line with reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent over the next decade, and to net zero by 2050.
At the much-anticipated summit, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi will present the UAE’s climate action model and urge the international community to step up the scale and pace of its efforts to match the increase in the intensity and frequency of adverse weather events due to climate change. In addition, he will announce upgradess to the country’s NDCs and higher commitments on various fronts to fast-track climate action and help build a more sustainable future for the next generations.
Furthermore, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi will attend the Youth Climate Summit – the first UN climate summit for youth that aims to provide a platform for young leaders to share their solutions with the world and meaningfully engage with decision-makers.
He will also participate in a panel discussion on ‘Advancing Buildings and Sustainable Urban Infrastructure’ as part of the Local Action Track ‘Partnerships for Ambition: Unlocking the Full Potential of Local Climate Action’, organized by the Infrastructure Cities and Local Action (ICLA) Coalition.
Other items on his agenda include the meetings of the 11th High Level Assembly of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, as well as the Global Commission on Adaptation, and a reception themed ‘Securing our Future: People, Food and Nature Solving the Planetary Emergency’.
As part of UNGA 74, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi will participate in a World Economic Forum-led session on ‘Scaling Solutions for Circular Plastics’, set to bring together key players across value chains to identify practical solutions to global plastic pollution.
He will also serve as a panelist at a breakout session on ‘How Climate Change Is Reshaping Agriculture’ at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum.