Sharjah 24 – WAM: Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, gave remarks at the Amazon Summit and Collaboration for Sustainable Development, urging leaders to build on President Lula da Silva’s commitment and inspire transformational progress on nature at COP28.
Gathering in the Brazilian city of Belém, Dr. Al Jaber met with leaders from the region and around the world to discuss ways to advance sustainable development and forest protections. All member states of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO) attended the summit, which took place on 8-9 August.
In his speech, Dr. Al Jaber praised President Lula for championing bold policies that prioritise Indigenous Peoples and serve as a blueprint for other regions. He also marked the opportunity to engage with leaders in Brazil, the host of COP30, to build a substantive bridge between COP28 and COP30 that ensures inclusive, resilient and lasting climate progress.
He also held a bilateral meeting with President Lula, underscoring the important role that G20 nations play in driving climate action.
Dr. Al Jaber underscored that delivering transformational progress will require a shift in climate finance. “We need to expand available, accessible and affordable finance to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and ensure that adequate finance meets the needs of nature.”
He confirmed plans to keep the pressure on donor countries to fulfill the overdue pledge of US$100 billion and ensure a designated portion of the funds is directed to nature and forest protection. Significant reform of international finance institutions and multilateral development banks was also cited as critical to unlocking more concessional finance, lowering risk and bringing private finance to the table.
Dr. Al Jaber also acknowledged that sustainable agricultural development must aim to provide food security while safeguarding nature, an area in which Brazil has excelled. “Ensuring the health of our natural environment is a critical element for the necessary transformation of the world’s food and agricultural systems. Brazil, as one of the largest producers and suppliers of food to the world, is already taking progressive steps on this journey that we will seek to build on.”
During his visit to Brazil, Dr. Al Jaber held meetings with world leaders to discuss the COP28 energy transition agenda, including with Luis Arce, President of Bolivia; Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia; Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Mark Phillips, Prime Minister of Guyana.
Dr. Al Jaber also held bilateral meetings with Marina Silva, Minister of Environment of Brazil; Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil; Jean Paul Prates, CEO of Petrobras; and Antonio Queiroz, Vice President of Innovation, Technology and Sustainable Development at Braskem, among others.
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