World must work together to tackle climate change, UAE President tells COP27

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan delivered a speech at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, emphasising the importance of international cooperation to tackle climate change for the sake of future generations.

Sheikh Mohamed’s address came during the opening session of the Leaders’ Summit at COP27, in the presence of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt and other world leaders, heads of state, and invited dignitaries.

The UAE President emphasised the need for the international community to collaborate on finding practical climate action solutions, telling the assembled audience they are meeting at a critical time for our planet and our future generations.

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Sheikh Mohamed spoke of the UAE’s position as a responsible energy provider, with a realistic view of the present as it invests in the future. He reiterated the UAE’s support for efforts to accelerate the global energy transition and enable sustainable economic growth, highlighting recent initiatives such as the Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy agreement signed between the UAE and the US.

Sheikh Mohamed concluded by thanking Egypt for its efforts in hosting COP27 and extended an open invitation for everyone to continue collaboration towards finding and implementing practical solutions when the UAE hosts COP28 in 2023 at Expo City Dubai, emphasising the importance of ongoing cooperation and communication within the international community.

The full text of Sheikh Mohamed’s speech, which was delivered in Arabic

"Your Excellency, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi,

Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies,

COP27 President,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to begin by thanking the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for organising and hosting the 27th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP27).

I applaud this year’s conference for its focus on implementation, which allows Egypt and Africa to set an example in terms of climate priorities.

We meet here today at a critical time for our planet and our future generations. Our world is faced with complex and unprecedented challenges, most notable among them being climate change, which now affects the world’s stability and security - including food security.

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed arrives to deliver his address at the COP27 summit on Monday. Reuters

We have only one planet, ladies and gentlemen, and with that in mind, it is imperative that we partner and work together in a spirit of determination and optimism to address this common challenge through climate action. We look at this as an opportunity for innovation, and a chance to find new solutions and diversify our economy.

Esteemed audience,

The UAE is a responsible energy supplier, and we will continue to play that role as we pursue a transition to alternate resources and technologies.

By virtue of our geology, the oil and gas we have in the UAE is among the least carbon-intensive in the world. Nevertheless, we will continue to work towards reducing carbon emissions in the sector.

This is not a new role for us; our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, directed us to stop all gas flaring decades ago, laying the foundations of sustainability in the UAE and guaranteeing the protection of both the environment and our natural resources.

As a result, we have spent decades working towards diversifying our economy, and building our capabilities in the renewable and clean energy sector, in an effort to drive sustainable economic and social growth for the benefit of the UAE and the wider world, and for current and future generations.

To that end, the UAE became the first country in the region to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement, committing to its requirement to cut carbon emissions across all areas of our economy. The Emirates then went on to announce the UAE Net-Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative.

On the same note, a recent partnership agreement we have signed with the United States will help accelerate this transition towards clean and renewable energy sources. The agreement aims to raise USD100 million in investments to generate 100 gigawatts of renewable energy in the UAE, the US, and developing economies around the world by 2035.

These initiatives, projects, and protocols create new sectors and new jobs that require new kinds of knowledge and skills. They pave the way for us to accomplish our common goal and prevent the Earth’s temperature from rising more than 1.5˚C.

Esteemed guests,

The UAE remains committed to its collaborative approach, building bridges for cooperation and communication with the international community. We believe in the importance of consistency and perseverance in climate action.

Sheikh Mohammed stands for a photograph with Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and Antonio Guterres. Reuters

As we prepare to host COP28 in 2023 at Expo City Dubai, we increasingly focus on supporting the implementation of recommendations from previous conferences, and we are working to complete the first global stocktake of emission pledges under the Paris Agreement. Moving forward, we will support efforts to organise a global dialogue to expedite progress in implementing the agreement by 2030.

We strive to make it as inclusive and diverse as possible, ensuring that women are well represented, while working to engage youth from around the world, channelling their energy and passion towards finding sustainable solutions.

We want to bring everyone on the same page to collectively drive an organised and effective transition in the global energy sector with a realistic, pragmatic, ambitious, and economically feasible plan.

And it is our pleasure to extend an open invitation for everyone to collaborate towards finding and implementing practical solutions, which create new opportunities for sustainable, long-term economic growth for human beings everywhere.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In conclusion, I would like to, once again, thank our partners in Egypt, and to wish all of us success in our common efforts. The dangers of climate change affect everyone without exception, and the future of our children and grandchildren depends on the measures we take today.

Thank you.”