Young Emiratis set sights on sustainability as part of key Cop28 roles
▶ Three pupils and the owner of an organic farm have been named as climate champions for UN summit in Dubai
Four young Emiratis will help to lead the charge towards a more sustainable future as the UAE prepares to host the Cop28 climate change summit in November.
The group – including a girl aged 12 – will serve as Emirati youth sustainability ambassadors at the talks, which will emphasise the important role the next generation has to play in efforts to protect the planet.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Presidentdesignate of Cop28 and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, has announced that the UAE will sponsor 100 international youth climate delegates to attend the UN summit at Expo City Dubai.
Delegates will be selected primarily from the least developed countries, small island developing states and other minority groups.
The National spoke to the UAE’s four young climate champions, who hope to encourage change on the road to Cop28.
Ghaya Alahbabi may be 12, but she is aware the world is facing a pivotal moment in its efforts to tackle the effects of climate change.
When she turned 11, she was not concerned about how many gifts she received or how many of her friends would attend her party – she was focused on something bigger.
Ghaya marked her birthday by launching an art competition, with works created using recycled materials to show what can be achieved by focusing on sustainability.
The Grade 7 pupil at Liwa International School in Abu Dhabi has organised more than 20 campaigns that brought people together to clean up the country’s coastline and beaches.
“But it can’t just be me. It has to be all of us together to make a difference,” she said.
She was inspired by a quote from the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan: “We cherish our environment because it is an integral part of our country, our history and our heritage.
“On land and in the sea, our forefathers lived and survived in this environment.
“They were able to do so only because they recognised the need to conserve it, to take from it only what they needed to live and to preserve it for succeeding generations.”
The way the UAE has put Sheikh Zayed’s words into action has fuelled Ghaya’s desire to help boost climate efforts.
“They didn’t believe him when he said he would plant the desert with trees and look at us today,” she said.
She has called on the country’s children to “dream big”.
“Continue on your path, but whatever you do please care for your environment because it can’t just be me, it has to be all of us,” she said.
Mariam Al Ghafri, 15, is another of the country’s sustainability ambassadors and has come up with several ideas to help make everyday life better.
They include a device that would measure carbon dioxide levels to detect whether a child was locked inside a vehicle and a plan to translate images into Braille.
“My cousin was once stuck in a car for 30 minutes and that is how I got the idea of the car sensor,” Mariam said.
She wants to pursue a career in engineering and said she was taking her youth ambassador duties seriously.
“My role as an ambassador is to elevate the thinking of the Emirati child and put him in a position of responsibility that he must bear by preparing programmes and activities that enable him to do so,” she said.
Mariam said Sheikha Fatima, Mother of the Nation, has given the country’s children a voice.
Sheikha Fatima is also chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.
“She offered us the chance to speak up and influence decisions that support children’s rights,” Mariam said.
“Children are the least responsible for climate change, but they will suffer its effects, so we must stop it.”
She is not the only youth ambassador keen to make the most of the role at Cop28.
Sofia Faghihy, 16, has an impressive track record in the climate change fight.
She is passionate about this year’s summit in Dubai and believes delegates and decision-makers can make a difference if they are united in efforts to introduce change.
Sofia has met former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, taken on the role of eco-ambassador at her school and volunteered for wildlife conservation projects in Sri Lanka.
Her most notable academic achievements include winning the International Mathematical Olympiad 2021 and an international cyber competition a year later.
Sofia secured the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Award for Excellence last year and was Secretary General of the Gems World Academy Model UN this year, when pupils took on the roles of UN delegates in an exercise aimed at seeking solutions to global issues.
She has also written a non-fiction book, titled Space Exploration: The New Rennaisance.
“I am driven by an innate desire to succeed,” Sofia said.
“I see myself as a very privileged person by having access to a great education and constant support from my family, and I really want to give back to the community as much as possible.
“I feel like I should use the skills I was given, not only to benefit myself but rather society as a whole through my existing and future platforms.”
The quartet of youth ambassadors is completed by Saeed Al Remithi, 23.
He runs an organic farm that sells produce, including tomatoes, milk, eggs and poultry. He has sowed the seeds of sustainability in his work by using pesticide-free fertilisers, setting up solar panels and embracing hydroponic farming methods that greatly reduce water use.
Mr Al Remithi uses the farm in Sweihan to provide for his family and said he came up with the idea for an eco-friendly business three years ago.
“My uncle was having trouble with his greenhouses and complaining about the high costs of electricity and water consumption, so I came up with a prototype of a hydroponic farm that worked using solar panels – the rest was history,” Mr Al Remithi said.
Mr Al Remithi is looking forward to advancing the green agenda at Cop28.
His business will be a presented as a model of sustainability during the summit.
I see myself as a very privileged person and I really want to give back to the community as much as possible
SOFIA FAGHIHY
Youth sustainability ambassador