The UAE is committed to support countries most exposed to climate risk, said Dr. Al Jaber…reports Asian Lite News
The UAE has adopted a partnership approach that focuses on financing projects in countries most exposed to climate risks as climate finance can enable sustainable economic growth while promoting peace and stability, according to Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate Change.
Delivering the opening remarks at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Climate Finance for Sustaining Peace and Security, Dr. Al Jaber explained that the UAE has provided over $1 billion in climate aid to more than 40 countries, with a special focus on island and least-developed nations. He added that the UAE has also provided several billion dollars in recent years in disaster and conflict relief where climate impacts are a contributing factor.
The Arria-formula meeting, an informal meeting of Security Council members, was chaired by Dr. Al Jaber. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN, delivered the opening remarks at the meeting which had in attendance Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN.
During his speech, Dr. Al Jaber noted that geopolitical tensions are challenging international peace and stability. He said that while the world deals with these challenges, we should not lose sight of other existing and emerging threats that undermine our collective security.
The UAE’s experience in climate financing underscores that, where appropriate, viewing climate action through the lens of international peace and security can aim finance at priority sectors such as food and water security, according to Dr. Al Jaber. He explained this is one of the goals of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), an initiative that the UAE launched last year along with 38 countries to scale up investments in agricultural innovation from drought resistant seeds to water-efficient vertical farming.
Addressing dignitaries including, John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, and The Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma, COP26 President, Dr. Al Jaber called for an inclusive approach that empowers women and ensures climate finance contributes to equitable sustainable development when financing projects.
“Fair and balanced climate finance will make all communities more resilient in the short term and will deliver a dividend of peace well into the future.”
Reiterating the importance of climate finance in the fight against climate change, Dr. Al Jaber urged the international community to do more to support developing nations.
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“Climate finance is one of the most important tools to manage climate risks.” “Yet,” Dr. Al Jaber noted, “the international community continues to fall short of the $100 billion climate finance pledge made to developing nations over a decade ago. Many countries on the Council’s agenda, as well as countries affected by rising sea levels, emphasize this amount alone will be insufficient.”
Dr. Al Jaber stressed “robust, sustained and ambitious climate finance is a critical enabler of continued climate progress and risk reduction.” He added that “greater access to guaranteed finance is critical.”
As a responsible global partner, the UAE is committed to supporting countries most exposed to climate risk, said Dr. Al Jaber, as he pointed out the scale of the climate challenge.
