COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber urged governments to “think bigger, act bolder” on their national climate plans and align them with the UAE Consensus reached at the climate talks in Dubai last year.
Al Jaber’s comments came at the annual Petersburg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, where he highlighted the importance of the UAE Consensus which he described as a “historic milestone in climate diplomacy” that achieved “cross-sectoral breakthroughs across the entire climate agenda.”
COP28: What is the UAE Consensus?
The UAE Consensus, forged at the historic COP28, represents a comprehensive global framework for climate action and a historic milestone in climate diplomacy.
“The UAE Consensus achieved cross-sectoral breakthroughs across the entire climate agenda. Together, we set a clear pathway for the energy transition, backed by the science, and focused on the north star of 1.5°C,” Dr. Al Jaber stated in Berlin.
This groundbreaking consensus unprecedentedly references transitioning away from all fossil fuels in energy systems by 2050 to reach net zero emissions. It calls for peaking emissions by 2025, reducing them 43 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035, aligning with 1.5°C pathways. The UAE Consensus also includes the first-ever global renewable energy targets in a COP agreement, as well as a 2030 deadline to end deforestation – a first for nature protection.
Furthermore, it mandates submitting ambitious economy-wide NDCs by 2025, delivering and implementing National Adaptation Plans by 2030. Breakthrough agreements were reached on climate finance, including establishing a long-awaited fund for loss and damage, scaling up adaptation finance, and recognising the roles of credit agencies and need for concessional finance. Significantly, the UAE Consensus also included under-recognised sectors like food and health on the COP agenda for the first time.
The consensus additionally adopted frameworks like the Emirates Climate Resilience and Just Transition programs, while institutionalising the Youth Climate Champion role. Alongside these historic outcomes, COP28 mobilised an unprecedented $85 billion for climate action.
Call for ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
The COP Presidencies Troika, a collaboration between the COP28, COP29, and COP30 presidencies, is pushing governments to submit more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Dr. Al Jaber urged countries to set out economy-wide emission reduction plans and produce well-funded national adaptation plans to protect nature and transform food systems.
“My message to governments is simple: think bigger, act bolder,” Dr. Al Jaber told delegates.
“Send a clear message early with your next NDC that puts green infrastructure at the center of your development plans.”
Prioritising Investment in Climate Finance
Dr. Al Jaber advocated for “smart policies that push industries to step up and incentivise the private sector to invest” in the energy transition, which he described as “the biggest opportunity for socio-economic development since the first industrial revolution.”
He highlighted four key investment priorities:
- Infrastructure: The world needs to invest at least $6 trillion to meet the 2030 target of 11 terawatts of renewable energy capacity, with similar investments in outdated or nonexistent energy grids, especially in developing countries.
- Technology: Artificial intelligence (AI) “can be a gamechanger” by multiplying efficiencies, helping to solve intermittency challenges posed by renewables, and minimising water usage.
- People: All countries should invest in developing new skills for the green economy.
- Global South: Dr. Al Jaber reiterated the need to increase investment in the Global South, where over 120 developing countries currently attract less than 15% of global clean tech investment.
Responsible energy transition and multilateralism
While acknowledging the urgency of the climate situation, Dr. Al Jaber emphasised that the energy transition must happen at different paces in different places, and the current energy system cannot be unplugged until the new one is built.
He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the transition is just, equitable, and responsible, in line with the targets set out in the UAE Consensus. Additionally, Dr. Al Jaber praised the spirit of multilateralism that enabled the UAE Consensus, proving that “unity can overcome polarisation.”
During the Climate Dialogue, the COP Presidencies Troika hosted a traditional Emirati “Majlis” discussion, aimed at fostering an honest and practical dialogue around the energy transition. Dr. Al Jaber also met with leaders from Azerbaijan, Germany, and France to further the climate agenda.
“We locked in the first ever global renewable energy targets. We achieved firsts for nature, setting a 2030 deadline to end deforestation. We made breakthroughs in finance, ending a 30-year deadlock on loss and damage, and beginning to fill a fund that is critical for climate justice,” he added.
“We also included under-recognised sectors like food and health in the COP agenda for the first time. And we did all this against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, proving that multilateralism still works and that unity can overcome polarisation. In short, we sent a message of hope, optimism, and inclusivity that could not be more important today.”
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