UAE To Host United Nations Climate Conference COP28

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has officially announced that the UAE will host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in 2023.

The UNFCCC confirmation followed unanimous endorsement by the Asia Pacific Group of nations during COP26, where nearly 200 countries have gathered to take concerted action to cap global greenhouse gas emissions and unite against climate change.

In response, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said: "We are pleased and honored by the UNFCCC decision to select the United Arab Emirates to host the UN Climate Change Conference in 2023 and commit ourselves as a nation to supporting the entire international community in accelerating our combined efforts to overcome the very real threat of climate change.

يسعدنا استضافة دولة الإمارات مؤتمر المناخ " COP28 " في عام 2023 .. تنسيق الجهود في العمل المناخي بين دول العالم، فرصة لتعزيز حماية البيئة وتحقيق النمو الاقتصادي المستدام، ونرحب بالتعاون مع المجتمع الدولي لضمان ازدهار البشرية.

— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) November 11, 2021

Path-breaking initiatives at COP-26 At COP26, the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) – a major new initiative led by the UAE and United States (US) with the support of over 30 governments – was officially launched. AIM for Climate announced an "early harvest" of US$4 billion of increased investment to accelerate innovation for climate-smart agriculture and food systems over the next five years.

The UAE has pledged US$1 billion of increased investment as part of this initiative, which aims to increase and accelerate agricultural and food systems innovation in support of climate action.

Over five decades, the country has successfully reduced the volume of natural gas flared in the domestic energy sector by more than 90%. In turn, the UAE’s hydrocarbon industry today holds one of the world’s lowest methane intensities of 0.01%. The UAE will build on this foundation of ultra-low methane intensity in the energy sector to further improve its methane performance.

The UAE’s long history of commitment to climate change started in 1989 when it first ratified the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone layer. Since then, it has joined the UNFCCC (1995) and ratified the Kyoto Protocol (20