Getting global climate goals back on track means the Cop28 summit in the UAE must rise to meet high expectations and overcome low levels of trust, especially in the countries hardest hit by change, said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the meeting's president-designate.
Pointing to the latest report that the world was “off-track” to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, Dr Al Jaber said the first global stocktake at the summit must prove to be a historic turning point.
“We have no choice but to get real now,” he said. “We must unite and seize the moment of the Global Stocktake to put the world on the right track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
“Cop28 needs to deliver an action plan that engages the public and private sector to achieve transformational results. This will be underpinned by a robust negotiated response to the Global Stocktake.”
Speaking at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, which is jointly hosted by Germany and the UAE, the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, special envoy for climate change and chairman of Masdar, said a listening tour by the Cop28 team had heard efforts to meet the finance needs driven by climate change must be supercharged.
“In my meetings with climate, finance and development ministers across the global south, what I hear time and again is that climate finance is simply not available, not accessible and not affordable,” he said.
Looking to rebuild the trust gap, Dr Al Jaber said he wanted developed countries to make good on long-promised commitments.
“Developing countries are still waiting for the $100 billion promised by developed countries 14 years ago,” he said. “At Cop28, I expect ambitious, transparent and accountable commitments from countries and businesses that will shape policies in parliaments and budgets in boardrooms.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the good news was the $100 billion target could be met this year. She also called for much wider accessibility to renewable energy technology, especially in Africa as she mooted the possibility of whether “should and can” reach a target on renewables. She too highlighted the importance of the first ever stocktake on climate goals at Cop28.
“Scientists are not going to give us a good report card,” she said.
The Petersburg meeting has become a fixture of a process of getting countries together on the main themes of the approaching summit. It was also addressed by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, the leading voices from the most affected nations and climate bodies.
Barbados's Prime Minister Mia Mottley and UNFCCC executive secretary Simon Stiell commended the UAE listening exercise as a unifying process that should generate a spirit of coming together when the summit opens.
“It was very, very helpful,” said Mr Stiell. He said he was confident that Dubai's Cop28 summit “will be a turning point for the world”.
Dr Al Jaber reiterated commitments to phase out fossil fuel emissions and phase up renewables.
“We will accelerate delivery in sectors like renewables that must triple capacity by 2030 and double it again by 2040,” he said. “We will encourage smart government regulation to jump start the hydrogen value chain and make carbon capture commercially viable.”
Dr Al Jaber also met US climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday and they discussed accelerating global co-operation across “all pillars” of climate action ahead of Cop28.
The two-day gathering in Berlin was also addressed by high-level champion Razan Al Mubarak, who takes on a remit of climate progress for all at Cop28, and was introduced to Youth Climate Champion, Shamma Al Mazrui.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
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Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5