Prime Minister heads to France for climate change conference
KUWAIT: The representative of Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and his accompanying delegation left Kuwait yesterday heading to Paris to attend the United Nations (UN) Conference on Climate change hosted by France.
His Highness was bid farewell at Kuwait International Airport by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Anas Khaled Al-Saleh, besides a number of Sheikhs, ministers, and senior officials at the Diwan of His Highness the Prime Minister.
His Highness the Prime Minister was accompanied by a delegation that included First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Sulaiman Al-Jarallah, besides senior officials at the Foreign Ministry, Diwan of His Highness the Prime Minister and Environments Public Authority.
Substantial weight
Meanwhile, Director General of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah described His Highness the Prime Minister’s chairing of the Kuwaiti delegation taking part in the Paris Climate Change Conference will add substantial weight to the Arabs’ participation in the international event.
He said in a statement that His Highness the Premier’s chairmanship of the delegation would “add tremendous weight to the participation of Arab and developing states” in the international event, to be hosted by the French capital between November 30 and December 11th.
His participation will positively reflect on planned negotiations for resolving climatic problems “in a manner that will preserve regional states’ rights as to realizing sustainable development,” said Sheikh Abullah Ahmad Al-Humoud in a statement to KUNA. Historic responsibility as to collective gas emissions hinges on advanced countries, he said, adding “developing countries’ priority is attaining sustainable development in tandem with national development strategies and priorities.”
The State of Kuwait is seeking at this conference to work out a new deal covering social and economic priorities, whereby obligations and measures will be compatible with the international framework climatic convention, with consideration to aiding the developing countries attain their development objectives. Kuwait had already called for implementing principles of the international accord as stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol, signed by Kuwait on March 11, 2005.
Kuwait Declaration
In this context, EPA had revealed the planned “State of Kuwait Numberone Declaration” regarding the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be forwarded to the convention secretariat. The four-volume statement tackles green-house gases, cutting impact of these gases, coping with climatic change and “the State of Kuwait national circumstances.”
Keen on joining the international community in dealing with effects of the climatic change and minimizing green-house gases, Kuwait has taken a series of measures in this regard, such as signing the 1995 international framework convention and the subsidiary protocol in 2005.
According to official reports, Kuwait’s gas emission “is very limited,” as compared to the volume of gas puffed into the air in major industrialized nations such as the United States, Canada, Japan and the European Union.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, at the 2012 Doha Climate Change Conference, affirmed Kuwait’s commitment to cut carbon dioxide emissions. According to official statements, proportion of gas emissions per sector is as following: Sixty percent in the energy sector, oil and gas sector 19 percent, transports 15 percent in addition to one percent in other fields.
In implementation of governmental plans to preserve the environment and invest in environment-friendly projects, Kuwait National Petroleum Company announced closing the old Al-Shuaiba refinery permanently in April 2017, ahead of launching the environmental-friendly fuel project in middle of 2018, This venture is designed to overhaul Mina Abdullah and Al-Ahmadi refineries, building 39 new units, updating seven ones, closing seven others, with aim of producing high-grade products, namely diesel and kerosene.
The venture is to be launched according to specifications adopted by the United States and Europe. Special devices are to be installed to ensure maximum cut of pollutants, minerals, sulfur and other contaminating materials or substances. Designers are planning highest level of personnel and operational safety. Authorities have also enforced stringent laws to compel industrialists put out minimum levels of pollutants and enforce strict regulations on passing or anchoring ships as to waste dumping. In power sector, Kuwait is seeking to produce safe energy at a 15 percent proportion in 2030 from clean and renewable sources. Al-Shagaya complex for renewable energy is one of the initiatives at this level. — KUNA