UAE and Pakistan sign deal to boost joint efforts in climate, environment at COP26

The UAE and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the fields of climate change mitigation and adaptation and environmental protection in line with the national legislations of the two countries.

Mariam Bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, and Malik Amin Aslam, Minister for Climate Change and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, signed the agreement on the sidelines of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Focus areas include environment and climate change, renewable energy, climate smart agriculture, drought management, and environmental education and capacity building.

Almheiri said, "In line with the forward-looking vision of its wise leadership, the UAE is keen to build bridges of cooperation with all countries in the face of global challenges, and views multilateral diplomacy as a strategic priority of its future agenda.

"The UAE and Pakistan enjoy long-standing collaboration across multiple sectors, such as education, health, energy, infrastructure development, food security, and the environment. The new MoU will help us tackle climate change together through boosting mitigation and adaptation capabilities and conserving environmental resources and biodiversity," she added.

Amin Aslam said, "We are pleased to take our already strong bilateral ties with the UAE to new heights. Through the agreement, we hope to drive joint efforts in safeguarding terrestrial and marine environments and fight climate change through upscaling mitigation and adaptation measures.

"The MoU will enable us to capitalise on successful experiences and models in climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy solutions, and scientific research to build a better future for the current and next generations," he added.

The two countries agreed to jointly launch new and expand existing ecosystem restoration initiatives in a way that promotes the objectives of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

In addition, they will facilitate the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and renewable energy solutions, develop drought management plans, promote ecotourism and desert tourism, run training programmes for environmental and climate specialists, and roll out marine ecosystem conservation and blue carbon initiatives.

The UAE and Pakistan will also initiate exchange of information on climate change between their educational institutions, support the implementation of innovative ideas and projects stemming from academia, and conduct joint environmental research.

To achieve progress in these areas, the two nations will share relevant knowledge, experience, and publications, exchange visits between specialists to explore technical aspects of climate-smart practices and zero-emission technologies, and collaborate with regional and global environmental protection organisations to meet environmental agreements while serving mutual interests.