Step up now to meet climate targets, urges Cop28 head
▶ Dr Sultan Al Jaber warns global energy transition will lead to ‘turmoil’ if not managed correctly
Unprecedented action is required to meet global targets on climate change, Cop28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber said yesterday.
Dr Al Jaber called for governments, business and industry to honour the UAE Consensus deal struck at the UN climate change conference in Dubai last year.
Countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in a bid to keep temperature rises to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Dr Al Jaber, who is also Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said the deal “set a new direction and a clear course correction”.
“We must now turn an unprecedented agreement into unprecedented action. Now is the time for all stakeholders to step up,” he said.
This month, the EU climate monitoring service said global warming had for the first time exceeded 1.5°C across an entire year.
Dr Al Jaber was speaking at the Beyond Cop28: Time to Unite, Act and Deliver the UAE Consensus event at the International Energy Agency intergovernmental organisation in Paris.
It was attended by ministers, ambassadors, industry executives and other leaders – including International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol, former Cop21 president Laurent Fabius and John Kerry, US special envoy for climate.
Dr Al Jaber said the energy transition would lead to global energy turmoil if the focus was only on the supply side.
He said the green transition would need “massive investment” in grid infrastructure to deliver renewable energy, while governments needed to be “honest and transparent about the costs and trade-offs involved”.
Increasing climate finance – particularly for those most vulnerable to its effects – is considered crucial in the fight against climate change.
Dr Al Jaber, who is also managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc and chairman of Masdar, said “Cop28 created a moment of hope in challenging times”.
“Let’s harness this positive energy to drive breakthrough progress,” he said.
Cop28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber has called for “unprecedented” climate action to ensure a historic deal agreed on at the UN summit in Dubai last year has a chance of keeping global temperature rises to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Speaking at the International Energy Agency intergovernmental organisation in Paris yesterday, Dr Al Jaber urged governments, business and industry to keep momentum going for the UAE Consensus deal.
It was signed in December by about 200 countries at the summit in Expo City Dubai, under which a transition away from fossil fuels was agreed. The 1.5°C target was established in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Dr Al Jaber also cautioned of “turmoil” if the green transition was not managed correctly and said governments needed to be honest about costs involved.
“The UAE Consensus set a new direction and a clear course correction,” said Dr Al Jaber, who is also Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. “We must now turn an unprecedented agreement into unprecedented action.”
His warning comes as climate records continue to be broken.
This month, the EU’s Copernicus climate change service said that between February last year and January, global warming had for the first time exceeded the 1.5°C figure for an entire year.
Most scientists believe only major cuts to greenhouse gas emissions can stop temperatures increases and stave off the worst effects of climate change.
Dr Al Jaber was speaking at the Beyond Cop28: Time to
Unite, Act and Deliver the UAE Consensus event.
It was attended by ministers, ambassadors, industry executives and other leaders – including International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol, former Cop21 president Laurent Fabius and John Kerry, US special presidential envoy for climate.
Dr Al Jaber also warned that the energy transition would lead to energy turmoil if only the
supply side was focused on. He said the green transition would need “massive investment” in grid infrastructure to deliver renewable energy, while governments needed to be “honest and transparent about the costs and trade-offs involved”.
Increasing climate finance is seen as crucial in the fight against climate change – particularly in helping those most vulnerable to its effects.
Cop28 gathered $85 billion in
pledges and commitments and launched the world’s largest private investments vehicle for climate action – Alterra.
Dr Al Jaber last year welcomed the announcement that wealthier countries hit the overdue $100 billion annual climate finance goal, but said “trillions” will be needed.
Cop28 also tried to get the oil and gas industry to step up, with 40 per cent of global oil production committing to zero
methane emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by or before 2050.
While describing these targets as “a good start”, Dr Al Jaber said that “I will continue to push for more”.
His comments came after the Cop28 presidency launched a partnership with the next two hosts of the climate conference – Azerbaijan and Brazil – to help keep the crucial 1.5°C climate goal within reach.