As the world gears up for 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 host more than 60 thought leadership dialogues and announcements during the two-week event.
“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,” Al Balalaa stated.
UAE to host over 60 thematic sideline programs
The UAE remains steadfast in its commitment to accelerating the global energy transition in collaboration with key global partners, keeping 1.5C within reach. As part of the UAE’s participation at COP29, the country 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.
“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,” he added.
Dynamic conversation on pressing global matters
The UAE pavilion at COP29 will host dynamic conversations through its robust schedule, including topics such as: mobilizing climate finance for the Global South; demonstrating the UAE’s advancements across renewables; driving decarbonization for hard-to-abate sectors; leveraging AI to transform food systems, and address water scarcity.
Other key topics include progress across global partnerships, such as AIM4Climate, the Mangrove Breakthrough, and collaborations between the UAE and CIS nations; 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.
Accelerating Action Together
The UAE pavilion at COP29, entitled ‘Accelerating Action Together’, will present the nation’s climate journey, with highlights of the UAE Consensus, the COP28 legacy and impact of achievements, and the UAE’s progress across biodiversity and climate finance.
The pavilion will also highlight 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 sessions and activities hosted from November 12-21, 2024.
COP28 highlights
Reflecting on last year’s UAE edition ahead of COP29 next week, the country took major initiatives to tackle climate change and address climate finance challenges. At Dubai’s COP28, the UAE convened 198 parties to deliver the historic UAE Consensus and pledged to keep 1.5°C within reach, accelerating a new era of ambitious climate action.
Demonstrating the success of multilateralism and inclusion, the UAE Consensus set the world on a clear path to keep 1.5°C within reach, establishing ambitious targets to enable the world to reach Net Zero by 2050 and triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030.
It also included commitments to end deforestation by the end of this decade and significant firsts for climate finance, with the fund for loss and damage announced on the first day of COP28. This fund will help some of the most climate-exposed nations respond to the impacts of climate change, recognizing the role of credit rating agencies for the first time and scaling up adaptation finance to meet the evolving demands faced by climate-vulnerable communities.
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UAE’s road to net-zero emissions by 2050
The UAE plans to invest more than $163 billion in clean and renewable energy over the next several years to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, pledging to triple the production capacity of renewable energy by 2030. Meanwhile, the National Food Security Strategy 2051 aims to develop a comprehensive national system to enable sustainable food production through modern technology.
In partnership with the U.S., the UAE has also launched the global initiative Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate/AIM4C) and committed to investing $16 billion in climate-smart agriculture and food systems to improve agriculture and food security. The initiative has garnered the support of more than 600 state and non-state actors and partners, bringing in more than $17 billion in investments.
“As the international community turns to COP29, taking stock of the progress we have achieved against these targets – and the gaps that still need to be addressed – will be essential for the discussions this year. The UAE Consensus must continue to act as our guiding North Star, serving as an overarching framework to deliver on our collective ambition for transformative climate action, and building a more just and equitable future for all,” Al Balalaa concluded.
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