‘Let’s end finger-pointing’: UAE’s COP28 chief spotlights realistic ‘practical solutions’ to cut carbon emissions

‘Let’s end finger-pointing’: UAE’s COP28 chief spotlights realistic ‘practical solutions’ to cut carbon emissions

The COP28 president-designate has called for collective action to transform, decarbonise, and future-proof economies as he addressed more than 1,500 policymakers, experts, and industry leaders at the UAE Climate Tech on Wednesday.

“This forum aims to use the power of technology to turn one of the greatest challenges we face today into one of the greatest opportunities for sustainable socio-economic development. And with just 205 days to COP28, everyone in this room is critical to making the transformational progress we need… for our climate, for our societies and for our economies – all at the same time,” said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who also serves as the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology.

Noting that the world is way off track to meet the climate goals laid out in the Paris Agreement, Dr Al Jaber called for a “course correction”.

“We need to translate what we agree inside the COP negotiation rooms into practical actions in the real world. We need to find a way to hold back emissions, not progress. We need breakthrough solutions. And the single most critical source of these solutions is technology,” he said.

The two-day UAE Climate Tech kicked off at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre, aiming