UAE's Vision on Climate Change

"We pay the utmost care and attention to our environment for it is an integral part of the country, our history and our heritage. Our forefathers and our ancestors lived in this land and coexisted with its environment, on land and at sea, and instinctively realized the need to preserve it."

These were the words of the UAE's founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Zayed will be remembered across the world as a visionary who was far ahead of his time in recognizing the vital importance of environmental stewardship.

And today Sheikh Zayed's legacy continues to live on in the collective determination of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the country's leadership, to put climate action at the heart of everything the UAE does. We believe that action on climate change is not only both urgent and necessary, it is also an enormous opportunity.

There is huge potential in a low-carbon future, whether it is making our air cleaner, our health better, or our economies stronger, with the creation of millions of new jobs.

The UAE believes that if the world can come together now in a concerted effort to stop climate change in its tracks, together we will succeed in building a better, more secure and more prosperous world for everyone, everywhere.

A Global Partner for Climate Action

Based on a clear understanding of the challenges, the UAE has shown global leadership in driving international climate action through investments and partnerships around the world:

• The UAE was the first Middle Eastern nation to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement, a historic international treaty to limit global warming. As part of the agreement, the UAE was also the first country in the region to submit its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2015.
• As part of the US-UAE Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE), the two countries will catalyze $100 billion in financing and other support, as well as deploy 100GW of new clean energy in the US, UAE and emerging economies around the world by 2035.
• The UAE is facilitating climate action and innovation, through partnerships with the United States for the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), with South Korea in the development of the 5,600 MW Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, and with France and Germany to maximize the social and economic benefits of climate action.
• The UAE is home to the 168-member International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) - a global platform for multilateral cooperation on renewable energy. The UAE is also IRENA's largest voluntary financial contributor, enabling it to implement a wide range of programs.
• The UAE also has a long history of investing in renewable energy projects beyond our own borders. To date, we have invested over $50 billion in projects across 70 countries across 6 continents, and we are planning to invest a further $50 billion over the next decade too.

COP28: The Emirates Climate Conference

The UAE is proud to have the opportunity to build on our track record of climate action as the host of UNFCCC COP28 UAE in 2023.

We believe that to change everything, you need everyone. That is why we are committed to hosting an inclusive COP which brings all perspectives to the table.

All stakeholders must be part of the climate conversation: governments, civil society, businesses, women and the next generation of young people.

And as a bridge between the Global North and Global South, the UAE will lay particular emphasis on the need to listen to and support vulnerable countries and fragile communities.

This is a decisive decade for climate action and everyone and every moment counts.

With the first ever Global Stocktake set to take place at COP28 UAE, this will be a critical moment for the world to come together, find the gaps and find the solutions.

Only together can we rise to the climate challenge, achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and create lasting and sustainable prosperity for all.