H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Higher Committee responsible for preparations of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28 UAE), convened members to discuss progress for COP28, including upcoming milestones and action against key deliverables.
In the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed emphasised the responsibility of the UAE as the host country of COP28 and the inclusive approach the nation has taken towards the planning and organisation of the conference across the entire visitor experience journey.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said, "As the host country of COP28, the UAE is mandated to foster global consensus and guide an urgent, comprehensive and coordinated response to climate change in this decade of action.
"COP28 will be a significant meeting point for heads of state, business leaders, civil society, the scientific community, young people and all segments of society as we deliberate where the world stands today on climate action and what must be done to shift from promises to progress by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement."
With less than 90 days to go until the UAE hosts the largest multilateral event in its history, efforts are underway to deliver transformative climate action guided by both mandated/negotiated outcomes as the COP28 Presidential Action Agenda.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President-Designate, and Vice Chairman of the Higher Committee, provided an update on each of the workstreams, emphasising that the COP28 Presidency had entered the political phase of implementation, necessitating robust diplomatic engagement with multiple stakeholders.
Dr. Al Jaber said, "We have now fully shifted into implementation mode. Since we launched our Presidency plan and letter to Parties in July, we have continued to progress on the preparations for the conference and our endgame approach. But we have much work ahead of us, and now is the time to accelerate."
He added, "The Global Stocktake will be at the heart of COP28, as this is the first time the world is formally assessing progress since the Paris Agreement. The technical report of the GST will be released on 8th September and will show the world is not on track to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement. Frankly, we didn’t need a report to tell us that. But the report will provide the foundation to switch to the all-important political phase."
The political phase of the COP28 process includes working with the 198 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to deliver on negotiated agreements and is the cornerstone of the COP process.
Dr. Al Jaber continued, "The Presidency’s job will then be to work with parties to build political consensus on a forward-looking roadmap and secure commitments to action that will help close the gaps identified by the GST.
"In July, I appointed Ministers from South Africa and Denmark to work with other parties to build political consensus on the response to the GST. I will soon be appointing another three pairs of Ministers, who will work on building global consensus on landing zones in the negotiations – on mitigation and adaptation, as well as on finance, technology and capacity building."
Beyond the negotiated elements of COP28, the UAE COP28 Presidency is pursuing an ambitious set of goals through its Action Agenda. The Agenda includes fast-tracking a just and orderly energy transition; fixing climate finance; focusing on nature, lives and livelihoods; and fostering an inclusive COP process.
Dr. Al Jaber provided a goal-by-goal update to the Higher Committee, noting, "By delivering our action agenda, we must demonstrate that the UAE’s COP will set out a roadmap that will lead to a significant and quantifiable reduction in emissions through to 2030, and a restructured and refocused global financial system, to address the severe climate impacts faced by vulnerable countries."
Dr. Al Jaber noted that the Global South expected significant support for adaptation and Loss and Damage and emphasised that both workstreams were being prioritised. He commended the work of the entire COP28 Leadership Team in delivering robust multistakeholder engagement in the buildup to COP28.
"Thanks to the good work of Mariam Almheiri, Razan Al Mubarak, Abdulrahman Al Owais and others, I am confident we are on course to succeed in bringing food, health, water and nature to the very heart of the COP.
"We are now working intensively to get Parties and non-state actors on board in response to our calls to action – on heavy industry, oil and gas, renewable energy, hydrogen, food, health, nature, finance and more.
"And we are collaborating with MOFA to mobilise our diplomatic network to help us secure buy-in and commitments from other countries."
The COP28 President-Designate stressed that upcoming engagements, including the Africa Climate Summit, the annual UN General Assembly, and the Pre-COP in November, were critical moments to galvanise momentum.
"What we are aiming for here is nothing short of transformational: concrete results and solutions that put us on a new global climate trajectory and allow us to fundamentally redefine what a COP can achieve. That is a new era of global climate action and the COP. A COP28 for the history books."
While accelerated and intensified climate action is the single most important priority for COP28, Dr. Al Jaber pointed to the need for the UAE to host a world-class event to ensure the smooth delivery of objectives.
"The truth is that we will not succeed in delivering these ambitious outcomes without an inclusive COP and an exceptionally well-run event that provides a solid platform for delivering results. I am delighted to report that the Executive Hosting Committee, chaired by H.H. Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is fully operational and providing robust oversight of preparations for the event."
The Higher Committee were briefed by Her Highness and the Executive Hosting Committee on preparations for the conference itself, including the user experience.
The Executive Hosting Committee noted that the UAE is preparing to invite all those working for collective progress in climate action and that the UAE is excited to share its future toward transformative, sustainable development.
The Executive Hosting Committee echoed the COP28 Presidency’s commitment to inclusivity and outlined plans for a COP28 logistical and structural design that would empower all stakeholders, from the Blue Zone to the Green Zone and beyond.
In addition, the Higher Committee briefing included updates from Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development and the Youth Climate Champion for COP28; Razan Al Mubarak, the UN High-Level Climate Champion; and Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28.
The COP28 UAE Higher Committee includes ministers and government officials representing all government areas, industries, and sectors to coordinate nationwide efforts for the climate summit.