Insight: COP28 - A Look at What Dubai Has to Offer
2023 is going to be crucial for Dubai as it hosts the most important global event related to climate change and sustainability.
The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UNFCCC will convene from 30th November to 12th December in Dubai, and in this piece, we will dissect how crucial the event is for the Middle East and what Dubai has in store.
Why Dubai for COP28?
Dubai is one among many cosmopolitan cities in the Middle East which have witnessed phenomenal growth over the past few decades. However, amid all the positives, the Middle East region has been under constant scrutiny for the pollution derived from fossil fuels used in the region.
However, governments and private entities in the region, of late, have shown some promise in dealing with the situation by transitioning to sustainable means. Many in the business believe that hosting COP28 in itself is a statement that the UAE is now a sustainability leader.
In an interview with Financial Times in April this year, US Climate Envoy John Kerry said: “…(the UAE) understands the industry, understands the needs and what’s doable and what’s not, and [is] helping to shape the response of the planet”.
Further, the UAE’s focus on sustainability is not newly born in the wake of COP28. The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), which is committed to protecting air quality, groundwater, biodiversity and marine ecosystems, was established back in 1996. Starting with a small group of ecologists working in the harsh desert environment, the EAD has evolved as the largest environmental regulator in the Middle East.
Initiatives like the Zayed Sustainability Prize (launched in 2008), and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (funding conservation projects for the world’s most threatened species) have boosted sustainable planning and action in the region significantly.
A New Key Appointment
One crucial appointment made by the UAE government was the Minister for Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT), Dr. Sultan Al Jaber. Sultan Al Jaber also heads the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC Group) which is why his appointment as the COP28 President – Designate drew criticism.
However, this was a masterstroke by UAE President H.H. Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, given the fact that Dr. Al Jaber helped establish Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company), guiding its global contribution to clean technology and sustainable development. At present, he is serving as the Chairman of Masdar.
While the former US Secretary of State, Kerry, backed Dr. Al Jaber's appointment as a “terrific choice”, UK's Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart has called him an “outstanding individual” (for the job).
On his part, Dr. Al Jaber has been clear about making COP28 an all-inclusive and accountable one. “COP28 will be a COP of action,” he said.
"Making a dent in the climate crisis is not just about decarbonizing oil and gas operations. Power generation is the sector where the biggest impact can be made in the shortest amount of time. By 2030, renewable energy capacity needs to triple,” Dr Al Jaber, who is also the UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change said.
Year of Sustainability: 2023
Critics would gauge this move as a mere spectacle to complement Dubai hosting COP28, but the leaders of the UAE are keen to express that it is not.
The announcement of the Year of Sustainability (YoS) by UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has galvanised the nation – government agencies private companies, and people at individual levels, to contribute their two cents to sustainability.
The announcement is a baby step but a major stride toward sustainability for an oil-based economy in the Middle East.
“UAE continues to serve as an exceptional model for environmental conservation and resource management. It will inspire collective action through a nationwide commitment towards sustainable practices and foster global collaboration to address environmental challenges,” His Highness said, following the announcement of YoS.
The President's claim is backed by action on the ground with an array of initiatives by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE). Led by Minister, Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, the MOCCAE has championed causes such as sustainability and security across UAE and the world.
MOCCAE won the Sustainability Middle East Champion of the Year (Government Agency) Award, recently held in Dubai this year.
In Conclusion
These announcements (COP28 in Dubai or Year of Sustainability) followed a series of commitments, MoUs, pledges, targets, et al, by government and private (UAE-based) organisations alike. Nevertheless, the fruition of COP28 remains embedded in the consistency and consolidation of these commitments.
We should not shy away from the fact that some of these sustainability promises are will be hard to truly see, yet that is the challenge we face, to strive, to develop, to hold each other to account. Why? Because the ones that survive the challenges and tests of time will set examples for the world to tread the path to a sustainable future.
As businesses, policymakers, and citizens, we all have a role to play in this narrative. COP28 in Dubai is not just about a single city's commitment to sustainability; it's a microcosm of the larger global fight against climate change.
As Dr. Ioannis Ioannou from the London Business School in an interview with this publication rightly pointed out - "Time will tell... this is going to be an absolutely crucial COP."
Read More: UAE to Introduce “Relief, Recovery, and Peace” Day During COP28, Says Minister
