League of Arab States backs UAE’s bid to host global climate summit COP 28

Abu Dhabi - The UAE bid focuses on the economic case for climate action and underscores the country's long-standing commitment to investing in renewables and low carbon technology

The League of Arab States (LAS) announced on Thursday that it will endorse the UAE’s offer to host the COP 28 international conference on climate change in Abu Dhabi in 2023.

The move follows a similar endorsement by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on May 24.

The annual Conference of Parties (COP) is the decision-making body responsible for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The UAE bid — submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat last May — focuses on the economic case for climate action and underscores the country’s long-standing commitment to investing in renewables and low carbon technology, both domestically and across the world.

Fifteen years ago, the UAE placed climate action at the centre of its economic growth and diversification strategy.

Today, it operates three of the largest and lowest cost solar plants in the world. It is the first country in the Middle East to operate zero carbon nuclear power and the first MENA country to pioneer carbon capture, utilization and storage technology to decarbonise heavy industry.

To date, the UAE has invested around $16.8 billion in renewable energy ventures across 70 countries.

As host to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UAE has championed public-private partnerships for climate action and held preparatory meetings for the UN’s last climate summits in 2014 and 2019.

In April, the UAE co-founded the AIM for Climate initiative — with the USA — to increase and accelerate global innovation on agriculture and food systems for climate action.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, said: “Climate change is the issue of our age. Given that the Arab region is likely to be among the parts of the world most impacted by climate change, we hope, with the support of all of us, that the UAE wins its nomination to host COP 28 in 2023. We look forward to this and to Egypt’s presidency of COP 27 next year.”

The LAS decision was taken at a ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council in Cairo on Thursday.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi