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In the run-up to the UN Climate Action Summit, set to take place today in New York in parallel with the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74), His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, participated in multiple high-level sessions.
The first was a panel discussion on 'Advancing Buildings and Sustainable Urban Infrastructure' as part of the Local Action Track 'Partnerships for Ambition: Unlocking the Full Potential of Local Climate Action', organized by the Infrastructure, Cities and Local Action (ICLA) Coalition.
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi provided an overview of the UAE's approach to minimizing the environmental impact of the construction boom the country has witnessed over the course of four decades. He highlighted the fact that as a result of this comprehensive approach, the UAE was among the top 10 countries outside of the United States with the most LEED-certified buildings in 2017, with more than 4.4 million LEED-certified gross square meters and a total of 19 LEED-certified buildings.
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi also participated in the 11th High Level Assembly of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants that took stock of the progress made so far and discussed scaling up the coalition's action program. At the assembly, he announced the UAE's decision to join the coalition that is committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate through reducing short-lived climate pollutants.
In his speech, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: "Air quality is one of the greatest sustainability challenges that affect the daily life of people around the world. In the UAE, we are working on strengthening the institutional and legislative framework to tackle air pollution in a more comprehensive way from the green economy perspective. The UAE Green Agenda 2030 focuses on developing green industries, such as clean energy, green buildings and sustainable cities, sustainable food, environmental goods and services, as well as sustainable tourism. While this will help achieve prosperity and advance the diversification of the national economy, it should also substantially contribute to the mitigation of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions."
A World Health Organization-led session under the theme 'Adapting our Health Systems for Climate Change and Air Pollution' was also on the Minister's agenda.
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi noted that the financial toll of climate-induced extreme weather events – including hurricanes, droughts, and floods – is growing. People losing their housing, companies losing sales and assets, and governments going into debt to rebuild infrastructure, are just a few examples of the accumulating losses. He reiterated the importance of climate-proofing the health sector, as according to estimates from the UN and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), every US$1 spent on preparation for climate disasters could save US$7 to US$12 in disaster relief costs.
In addition, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi attended a reception entitled 'Securing our Future: People, Food and Nature Solving the Planetary Emergency', organized by National Geographic, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The event focused on opportunities to transform food and land use systems to build resilient ecosystems and livelihoods, and ultimately, unlock the potential of nature-based solutions to the climate crisis.
The reception witnessed the launch of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi announced the UAE's decision to join the promising coalition.
He said: "This coalition comes at a time when the world is in dire need for a coordinated and sustained global response to the planetary emergency. The world must open its eyes to the grim fact that climate change is progressing faster than we are, and we need to pick up the pace to win this fight."
He added: "In the UAE, we realize the gravity of the task at hand. We have shown a sustained commitment to safeguarding our environment as we continue to expand our protected areas and preserve local biodiversity."
Furthermore, the Minister attended bilateral meetings with His Excellency Richard Bruton, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment of Ireland, Dr M Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, and Boriy Alikhanov, the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Head of the Parliamentary Group of the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan.
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