President Joe Biden kicked off global talks on climate change on Thursday by announcing the US will aim to halve its carbon emissions over 2005 levels by 2030.
The ambitious goal from the world's second-biggest polluter after China marks a stark reversal from the policies of Mr Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, whose tenure was marked by inaction on climate change, a withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and loosening of pollution rules.
Additionally, Mr Biden announced that by 2024, the US would double its annual assistance to help developing countries cope with the effects of climate change.
The UN Green Climate Fund is falling well short of its goal of providing $100 billion per year to low-income countries, and Mr Trump halted contributions to the fund after withdrawing from the Paris Accord.
Mr Biden also called on the rest of the world to join the US in reducing carbon emissions to keep global warming below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
“The world beyond 1.5°C means more frequent fires, floods, draughts, hurricanes tearing through our communities, sweeping away lives and livelihoods, increasingly dire impacts to our public health,” Mr Biden said.
"The signs are unmistakable. The science is undeniable, and the cost of inaction just keeps mounting.”
The US wants other nations to follow suit and scale up plans for cutting pollution and preventing future climate-related challenges. China, Russia, Canada, India, Germany, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other big economies are among those attending the summit.
Underscoring the sense of urgency, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world stood at "the verge of the abyss".
"Mother Nature is not waiting. Last summer was the hottest on record … Meanwhile, we see ever-rising sea levels, scorching temperatures," he warned.
Chinese President Xi Jinping laid out Beijing's goals, which included "strictly" limiting coal consumption in the coming years.
"China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060," Mr Xi said.
"China has committed to move from peak carbon to carbon neutrality in a much shorter time span than might take many [developing] countries and that requires extraordinary hard efforts from China.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on Ankara's initial 2015 commitments under the Paris climate accord during his opening remarks at the summit, praising Turkey as "a leading country in its region when it comes to renewable energy".
"Within the framework of our nationally determined contribution that we had presented in 2015, we are expecting a reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions up to 21 per cent until 2030," said Mr Erdogan.
"We will be increasing our electricity generation from solar power to 10 gigawatts until 2030 and from wind energy to 16 gigawatts."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, will represent the Emirates at the talks. He will join US climate envoy John Kerry and others for a session on "unleashing climate innovation".
Discussions will feature Pope Francis, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
After a brief technical glitch in the opening session, Mr Putin promised to carry out a large-scale campaign for renewable energies, including a pilot project on carbon reduction.
King Salman also touted Saudi Arabia's investments in clean energy, vowing that renewables would comprise half of the oil-rich kingdom's energy needs by 2030.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – whose countries are among those that contribute most to emissions – also addressed the summit.
Mr Johnson said that tackling climate change was not "some expensive, politically correct green act of bunny-hugging", and instead insisted "this is about growth and jobs and I think the president was absolutely right to stress that".
The event involves pre-recorded messages and live interactions between leaders from 40 countries and other luminaries before a UN meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, called Cop26.
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates will address the talks on Friday.
Celebrities are involved, too. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, singer Katy Perry and other stars this week wrote to Mr Biden asking him not to sign any environmental deals with Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who will also address the meeting.
Mr Bolsonaro's government, widely criticised for its lack of action in preventing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, is demanding $1 billion from the US to cut deforestation in the rainforest by 40 per cent.
Even as the White House aims to ensure the world meets a goal of limiting planetary warming to 1.5°C compared with pre-industrial levels, activists and UN climatologists say we are badly off-track.
The planet has so far warmed by 1.2°C and is headed for at least 3°C this century, increasing the risk of bush fires, droughts, floods, hurricanes and other weather disasters that could one day force millions of people from their homes.
A Biden administration official involved in planning the talks told The National that Gulf oil exporters such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE were key to keeping global temperature increases within acceptable limits.
“Some of these countries which have historically been relegated to a second tier of either unimportant or problem nations, I think may be part of the solution,” he said.
He highlighted the UAE’s advanced water management technology and Saudi’s transition from being a crude exporter to capturing solar energy and powering its $793 billion economy with hydrogen.
“It doesn't matter if you’re in Australia or the US, the UAE or Saudi Arabia, you’re going to have to figure out how you move an economy, which is partially reliant on carbon-intensive activities, to one that is not,” the official said.
The US and China, the world's two biggest carbon polluters, agreed to boost co-operation on climate change before the summit, even as Washington and Beijing clash over everything from trade to cybersecurity and human rights.
The European Union on Wednesday reached a tentative deal that aims to make the 27-nation bloc climate-neutral by 2050, with member states and the parliament agreeing on new carbon reduction targets on the eve of Mr Biden's summit.
Still, climate activists and some UN climatologists say the pledges being announced are too little, too late.
Teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg this week cast doubt on the US climate summit, saying world leaders were not truly treating the “crisis as a crisis”.
“Lots of insufficient climate ‘targets’ and ‘pledges’ being presented … they equal surrender on the 1.5°C target," the Swedish activist said on Twitter on Wednesday.
"Same facts pretty much apply to all high income nations.”
Company%20profile
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UAE finals day
Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Honeymoonish
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Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
More Iraq election coverage:
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
More on Coronavirus in France
All Black 39-12 British & Irish Lions
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
