Cop28 President calls for ambitious global climate action plans

Dr Sultan Al Jaber sets out UAE's new climate action plan in New York

Cop 28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber at the Cop Presidencies Troika event in New York. Photo: Cop28 UAE Presidency

The UAE will submit its new national climate action plan before November's Cop29 climate talks in Azerbaijan, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, has said.

Speaking in New York on Thursday, Dr Al Jaber said the road map was ready months ahead of the February deadline and he urged others to follow suit.

Dr Al Jaber said the UAE’s submission will “cover all greenhouse gases and every sector of the economy, including energy, industry, transportation and waste”.

“It will leverage the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, to drive decarbonisation and enhance adaptive resilience by transforming food, health and early warning systems,” he said. “And it will back all efforts with a robust legal framework that holds every sector accountable to specific, timebound goals.”

Dr Al Jaber was speaking at a Cop presidencies troika event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The troika was established to ensure momentum from Cop28 continued through to Cop29 and Cop30 and Dr Al Jaber said it is primarily focused on stimulating the “highest level of ambition” in the next round of NDCs.

The Noor solar plant in Abu Dhabi. Dr Sultan Al Jaber said the UAE has more than doubled its renewable energy capacity since 2019. Pawan Singh / The National

Utmost importance

Climate plans are known formally as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and are five-year plans for how a country will reduce emissions, boost resilience and build a greener tomorrow.

Countries are required to publish their new NDCs next year, before Cop30 in Brazil in November 2025, as part of efforts to tackle man-made climate change and keep global temperatures from rising above the key 1.5ºC threshold. But 2023 the warmest year globally on record.

Countries at Cop28 agreed, for the first time, to transition away from fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels is the primary driver of man-made climate change.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell has called this round of NDCs “among the most important policy documents produced so far this century”.

“We need every country to have a plan by 2025 and make progress on implementing them by 2030,” he said in June.

Dr Al Jaber, meanwhile, called on parties to present fresh NDCs that “meet the urgency of the moment” and represent a “comprehensive response plan” to Cop28. He said NDCs should be viewed “not as a burden” but as “platforms for new streams of growth, green jobs and a clean future”. Done right, they can leverage the three megatrends: the energy transition, the rise of AI, and the expansion of emerging markets.

The UAE has previously announced plans for net-zero emissions by 2050. Dr Al Jaber said the country has more than doubled its renewable energy capacity since 2019 and is on track to more than triple it by 2030.

“Let me take this opportunity to call on all parties to be early movers and to provide concrete signals on their NDCs by or before Cop29 to build momentum during this critical decade of action,” he said.

“Let’s deliver transformational NDCs backed by serious investment to deliver on the mandate of the UAE Consensus, and let’s drive a new era of sustainable socio-economic growth that keeps 1.5°C within reach, advances prosperity and leaves no one behind.”

Pressure on for Cop29

Cop29 will take place in Baku from November 11 to 22. Climate finance is expected to dominate the talks with countries still deadlocked on how to deliver more funds to help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.

Cop29 president-designate Mukhtar Babayev earlier this month said some progress had been made but talks still risk falling short. Countries at the summit need to agree a new financial target to replace the $100 billion-a-year pledge from developed countries to developing countries. The financial target is formally known as the “new collective quantified goal” but parties remain in stalemate over how much to pay and who should be contributing.

Dr Al Jaber on Thursday said it was crucial countries agreed a new target at Cop29. Climate funds are sorely needed in developing countries who lack the financial power to switch from fossil fuels.

Dr Al Jaber referred to the Africa Green Investment Initiative, which is investing US$4.5 billion in renewable energy projects across the continent, and Alterra, the climate investment fund launched at Cop28, which has deployed US$6.5 billion with investors, as models “that can and should be replicated to enable green industrialisation and clean growth at scale and pace”.

Alongside the UAE Consensus, historic levels of funding were raised during Cop28, with $85 billion mobilised for climate action.

Inside the Cop28 climate talks – in pictures

People from all around the world, including the small island nation of Tuvalu, descend on Cop28 in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Performance artist Marius Diaconu leads a Unity Dance on the opening day at Expo City. Chris Whiteoak / The National

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron at the second day of the summit. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Visitors from Ecuador at the event. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Saudi pavilion turned heads. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Protesters held flags reading: 'No climate justice without human rights.' Chris Whiteoak / The National

Global cultures on full display on day three. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Sadhguru, founder and head of India's Isha Foundation, on day three. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Cop28 demonstrators call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Pawan Singh / The National

Brazil's popular pavilion. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Expo City's impressive dome at night. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Commissioned artwork titled The Choice by Tristan Eaton at Expo City. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Visitors young and old at the site. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The summit is a global affair. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Activists air their hopes at the site. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Local and international communities are working together to secure a greener future. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Visitors arrive for day six of the summit. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Young activists from Engajamundo protest about smog being created from deforestation in the Amazon. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Colours on display on day six. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Members of a Sikh human rights group in attendence. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Egyptian comic Bassem Youssef attends a talk on the sixth day. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Wake up experience with Sadhguru. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Wake up experience with Sadhguru. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The first week of talks finished on a high, with hard negotiations planned for the second one. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Protestors call for a ban on fossil fuels. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Day seven's Sustainable Fashion show. Pawan Singh / The National

Talks resumed on day nine, after a one-day break. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Friends for Future protest to phase out fossil fuels on day nine. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice also demonstrate. Chris Whiteoak / The National

International visitors at the site on day 11. Chris Whiteoak / The National

People protest about 'no climate justice without human rights'. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Mariam Almheiri, minister of Climate Change and Environment, speaks at the launch ceremony of the environmental identity. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Visitors watch the protests. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Day 11 at Cop28. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Day 11 at Cop28. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Indonesian dancers perform on day 12. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Day 12 at Cop28. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Negotiations remain under way on day 12. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Messages left at the Indonesian pavilion. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Protestors call for climate action to extend to food systems. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Nuclear for Climate demonstrators. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President, arriving for the plenary session on day 14. Pawan Singh / The National