20 Weeks To Go

The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UNFCCC will be held in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023. In the coming months, our UAE office selects and shares articles to keep you informed on preparations and perspectives from the wider Arabian Gulf.

UAE's COP28 president lays out plan for 'brutally honest' climate summit. Countries at this year's UN climate summit must face up to how far behind they are lagging on climate change targets and agree a plan, the UAE's incoming COP president said. In a speech detailing his plan for the COP28 summit, Sultan Al Jaber said the event should also yield international goals to triple renewable energy and to double energy savings and hydrogen production by 2030.

UAE sets ‘mid-century’ goal for fossil fuel phase-down in COP28 agenda. Sultan Al Jaber put forward his vision for COP28 at a meeting of G20 ministers in Brussels. As part of this vision, the COP28 plan allows for new oil and gas production as long as emissions are captured. The presented action plan was broadly welcomed, but did not satisfy the demands from some countries and campaigners for the phasing out of new oil and gas production.

A group of ministers, led by Germany and Canada, raises pressure on UAE. Ahead of the ministerial in Brussels, climate ministers from Canada, Germany, Vanuatu, Kenya, Austria, Malawi and Belgium sent a public letter calling on the UAE to focus on the phaseout of all fossil fuels in which the emissions are not captured. They also advocated for “ambitious replenishments” of the Green Climate Fund and the operationalization of the loss and damage fund.

COP28 host publishes letter outlining four paradigm shifts to the parties. In an accompanying 15-page letter to the parties, the UAE elaborated on the vision and emphasized the opportunity to fast-track the energy transition by building the energy system of the future, as well as the need for affordable and accesible finance. In addition, the letter raised urgency regarding loss and damage and a collective effort to make COP28 the most inclusive COP.

NATO releases reports to step up work on climate change and security. At its Leadership Summit in Vilnius, NATO released three reports highlighting the impact of climate change on its strategic environment and armed forces. These include an impact assessment of climate change on military equipment and maintenance costs, a best practices compendium and guidelines to calculate emissions to support NATO in reaching emission reduction targets.

Analysis: can the fossil fuel giants lead the energy transition? Foreign Affairs published an article on the Gulf states’ ambitions to establish themselves as prime actors in clean energy. It concludes that especially efforts to capture and store carbon emissions are cause for cautious optimism. But the article warns that the region's heavy reliance on oil and gas persists, and their clean energy goals face practical and institutional limitations.

UAE to co-chair alliance for transformative action on climate and health. The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has announced that it will co-chair the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), a WHO-led global platform of countries committed to building climate-resilient, low-carbon and sustainable health systems. To date, over 65 countries have joined this voluntary network to transform their health care systems.

PIF, ENGIE sign MoU to develop green hydrogen projects in Saudi Arabia. In a push to stay ahead of the curve in developing future energy, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has signed a deal with the French low-carbon energy provider ENGIE to jointly develop green hydrogen projects and derivatives in the Kingdom for export purposes. Under the MoU, parties will work on assessing the feasibility of co-development opportunities.

COP28: John Kerry says 'no' to US agreeing to pay climate reparations. The US will not commit to any climate reparations, US Special Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry said. Kerry forcefully shut down questions at a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on whether Washington would agree to climate reparations, where wealthier nations take accountability for and fund lower-income counterparts grappling with climate disasters.

UAE, India issue joint statement after Indian PM’s visit to the UAE. The leaders congratulated each other on advancing the interests of the Global South and pledged to work together towards a succesful COP28. They also agreed to further cooperation in plurilateral fora such as I2U2 and the UAE-France-India trilateral cooperation initiative. The UAE is India’s special invitee at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi in September, along with Oman and Egypt.

Backlash against Nature Restoration Law shows divides in Europe. The future of the EU’s flagship environment law was hanging in the balance after a coalition of centrist and right-wing parties mounted an attack campaign in the European Parliament. While the law ultimately did pass in parliament, the Nature Restoration Law has reignited old tensions between farming and environmentalism, where critics cite the dangers to food security.

IRENA publishes report on the geopolitics of critical materials. The report examines the geopolitical and geoeconomic implications of the growing demand for critical materials. It analyzes supply chains, trade patterns, sustainability factors, and socioeconomic aspects related to extraction and processing. The report also highlights the strategic importance of critical materials for economic competitiveness and renewable energy transitions.

MEI issues report on Israel's regional environmental cooperation. This new report published by the Middle East institute emphasizes regional environmental cooperation in the Middle East and Mediterranean, specifically between Israel and its neighbors. It describes the efforts to enhance coordination at bilateral and multilateral levels. The report highlights obstacles, and provides recommendations for joint action, with a focus on the role of the US and Europe.