Abu Dhabi : As the world looks ahead to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, next week, Abdulla Al Balalaa, UAE's Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainable Affairs, announced details of the UAE's participation at the climate conference, including a national pavilion and plans to have more than 60 thought leadership dialogues and announcements during the two-week event.
Abdulla Al Balalaa said, "COP29 is a pivotal moment in our collective climate journey, a year since we achieved global agreement with the UAE Consensus and our shared ambition to keep 1.5c within reach, and three months in advance of when countries will submit their nationally determined contributions to outline their transition plans".
Balalaa noted, "The UAE remains steadfast in our commitment to the hard work and collaborations needed, as an active, constructive player in negotiations, to continue to raise ambitions and accelerate the global energy transition, keeping 1.5c within reach.. We look forward to supporting Azerbaijan as they bring the world together next week at COP29, and we commend Baku's leadership in encouraging further collaboration and action as we strive for a more optimistic and climate-resilient future".
Balalaa also said, "As part of our participation at COP29, we will host a UAE Pavilion in the Blue Zone, which will bring together climate experts, government officials, private sector leaders, academics, and youth for more than 60 thematic sideline programs over the two weeks, to exchange ideas and co-create solutions for the most pressing climate challenges."
The UAE Pavilion at COP29 will host dynamic conversation through its robust programming schedule, including topics such as: mobilizing climate finance for the Global South which is demonstrating the UAE's advancements across renewables, driving decarbonisation for hard-to-abate sectors, leveraging AI to transform food systems and address water scarcity, progress across global partnerships, such as AIM4Climate, the Mangrove Breakthrough, and collaborations between the UAE and CIS nations.
THE UAE is also empowering youth in inclusive climate policymaking, planning for the 2026 UN Water Conference, to be co-chaired by the UAE and Senegal, urban-planning circular cities and mobilizing finance to regenerate biodiversity. The full UAE Pavilion at COP29 schedule is available at www.uaeclimate.com.
The UAE Pavilion at COP29, entitled "Accelerating Action Together," will present the nation's climate journey, with highlights on the UAE Consensus, the COP28 legacy and impact of achievements, and the UAE's progress across biodiversity, climate finance, the UAE's commitment to Net Zero, building food and water resiliency; and, safeguarding lives and livelihoods. The UAE Pavilion at COP29 will be located in the Blue Zone, with programming hosted from November 12 to November 21, 2024.