Sharjah24 - WAM: The UAE has expressed its strong support for progressive climate action linked to economic growth at Pre-COP 26 meetings in Milan, Italy, in the run up to the critical climate negotiations that will begin in Glasgow later this month.
Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, led the UAE delegation to the Milan Pre-COP and Youth4Climate meetings ahead of November's COP26 climate change summit in the UK.
The delegation included experts from the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
During the Youth4Climate event, Al Mazrui highlighted the importance of the perspectives of youth, as well as calling for ambitious climate actions and practical solutions. She shared with the youth delegates the UAE's approach to acting on climate issues as a means for economic and social development.
"Youth are at the centre of the conversation. As the impacts of climate change intensify over time, it is the young people of today who will face the worst effects and they are telling us we need to raise our global ambition on climate change. We have a clear mandate to preserve not only this planet for future generations, but to also make sure that we create the right opportunities and economic structures for future generations to thrive," said Al Mazrui.
Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, said, "The UAE has long been an advocate for strong climate action, and followed up its political commitments with practical results. We were the first country in the region to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement, we were the first to deploy industrial scale carbon capture technology, and we have been the foremost mover in the region’s renewable energy sector."
Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, noted, "The UAE is working very hard to materialise the commitments of the Paris Agreement at a domestic level, as we have experienced first-hand both the increasing threats climate change poses to our livelihoods and the huge economic and social opportunity that ambitious climate action represents for our country's development.
"We will continue to work to meet the high expectations of the Pre-COP, along with the high expectations for COP26, and we look forward to continue working with our peers to find common and stronger solutions."
The UAE has already built a strong foundation of energy and economic diversification that the country will build on. The government has repeatedly set new world records for the lowest cost of solar energy generation and is the first country in the region to use carbon-free nuclear energy.
In addition, the UAE is exploring blue and green hydrogen projects, leveraging its existing resource base and expertise in gas production, supply chain infrastructure, and transportation.
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