UAE Minister Meets Pakistan PM, Urges More Help for Climate-vulnerable Nations

As part of a global engagement tour, the COP28 President-Designate, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, met Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad and advocated for more assistance for developing nations dealing with the dire effects of climate change.

Dr Al Jaber met with Prime Minister Sharif to discuss issues related to the COP28 agenda, which will be held in Dubai in November.

These issues included developing a strong response to climate finance and operationalizing the loss and damage fund, tripling the capacity of renewable energy by 2030, enhancing climate adaptation and resilience, and using nature-based solutions.

In order to examine Pakistan's susceptibility to extreme weather events linked to climate change, Dr Al Jaber also met with Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

"The reality is that climate change is already having a profound impact on the lives of billions of people, and this is something Pakistanis understand all too well," said Dr Al Jaber in reference to the devastating floods of in 2022, which affected at least 30 million people and caused widespread infrastructure and economic loss.

Pakistan Floods: 9 Million More Risk Being Pushed into Poverty

Al-Jaber added: “At COP28, the world’s focus must be fixed on the needs and hopes of people, their voices must be heard and we must respond to their demands with ambition and action.”

The COP28 President-Designate and the Prime Minister of Pakistan witnessed the signing of an MoU between the UAE's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to cooperate on the development and investments of renewable energy projects in Pakistan, supporting Pakistan's efforts to advance a just energy transition.

The agreement was inked by Sharif al-Olama, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and Rashid Mahmood Langrial, Federal-Secretary from Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy.

“We must build the energy system of the future while decarbonising the energy system of today,” said the COP28 President-Designate. “This includes tripling renewables and doubling both energy efficiency and hydrogen production. We must also achieve net zero methane emissions by 2030 and deliver on net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Dr was accompanied on the visit by the Emirates Red Crescent Secretary-General-Hamoud al-Junaibi, who emphasised the crucial-need to respond to the humanitarian needs in Pakistan, especially in the aftermath of last year’s disastrous floods.

In November, the UAE will host the COP28, the annual UN climate change summit, when world leaders are expected to set objectives to mitigate the effects of rising global temperatures. After Egypt in 2022, the UAE will be the second Arab country to host the climate summit.

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