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COP28 UAE’s Presidency Leads To Meaningful Progress

Nabeel Munir, Pakistan Ambassador to Korea. He also chairs the ‘Subsidiary Body on Implementation’ and would continue to lead until COP29

The UAE’s Presidency of COP28 would lead to meaningful progress and effective global climate action as the Emirate has manifested its commitment towards combating environment challenges by implementing several initiatives to mitigate climate change effects, says a diplomat.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Republic of Korea Nabeel Munir, who was Lead Negotiator of the Group of 77 and China at COP27, said all parties are already negotiating a next course of action to address global environmental challenges at the earliest.

“Firstly, the $100 billion climate finance promise should be fulfilled at the earliest to build trust. And then, for the future, parties are already negotiating a “New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance”, from the baseline of $100 billion per year, for the post 2025 period,” Munir told Khaleej Times during an interview.

Ambassador Nabeel Munir is currently chairing the ‘Subsidiary Body on Implementation’ and would continue to lead until COP29.

“I hope that the quantum of finance agreed under the NCQG should be sufficient enough to address the needs of developing countries, as identified in their Nationally Determined Contributions,” he said.

Below are excerpts of the interview:

Pakistan will attend COP28 in UAE in November this year. How it will play its key role to make this event a success?

Success of COP 28 will be defined by its robust outcomes. For Pakistan, operationalisation of the funding arrangements and the fund for addressing Loss and Damage would hopefully be one of its major outcomes. Pakistan has been calling for it for years, and at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, the fund was indeed established. It is now imperative that developing countries start actually benefitting from it.

Similarly, the first Global Stocktake would be a great opportunity to both look back, and plan ahead. It could be an opportunity to put the world back on track to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, including its temperature goal.

Many other seminal issues will be part of the deliberations at COP28, and Pakistan will constructively engage with all parties to reach decisions on key elements defining the success of COP28 and ensuring positive contributions towards finding sustainable solutions.

How do you see UAE’s initiatives on climate change, and what do you suggest to address this alarming threat to global community?

Pakistan believes that the UAE’s Presidency of COP28 would lead to meaningful progress and effective global climate action, to reverse the negative impacts of climate change.

The UAE has manifested its commitment towards combating climate change by implementing several initiatives to mitigate climate change effects. For instance, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, one of the largest renewable energy projects globally, contributes to reducing carbon emissions.

The UAE has also invested in sustainable agriculture, water conservation, and waste management, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to addressing various aspects of the climate crisis.

Pakistan feels that the UAE’s Presidency of COP28 offers immense potential for global progress in addressing challenges posed by climate change.

We have to remember that in our fight against climate change, it is imperative that all countries, including the developing countries, take ambitious climate action. But for this to happen, it critically important that developing countries are provided sufficient and predictable means of implementation i.e. climate finance, technology development and transfer and capacity building support by the developed countries. Striking a balance between ambition and support may be the key to success.

The UAE and Pakistan are on the same page to make COP28 a success. What do you say?

As developing countries, I feel Pakistan and the UAE are fully aligned on elements that will define COP 28, and are working collectively towards making it a resounding success. COP28 President-designate, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, recently visited Pakistan and shared his vision with our leadership. Earlier, in June I also had a very productive discussion with Dr Sultan during the Bonn Climate Conference. We are confident in his abilities to deliver ambitious outcomes that are grounded in realities.

COP28 has no other option but to come up with creative solutions to sustainable continuity of the planet. What do you say?

One cannot over stress the importance of ambitious and comprehensive climate action by all, in terms of mitigation action, adaptation measures and actions to address the loss and damage associated with climate change. I see COP28 as an important milestone on the road to combat climate change. It is an opportunity for “course correction”. However, this course correction must not disregard the key principles of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, on which the edifice of global environment and climate change regime was built.

What should be the COP28 resolution to address climate change? Do you think COP28 will be a new benchmark and set fresh environment standards as part of damage control measures?

The first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement will conclude at COP28. Based on a comprehensive GST process to review global progress to date on achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, all Parties to the Agreement will agree on a set of recommendations in all areas related to climate change, inter alia, mitigation, adaptation and finance. We hope that these recommendations will be robust enough to be regarded as a new benchmark in our fight against climate change.

Please describe top 3 challenges to address global environment issues?

For me, the three principal challenges would be:

How do you see the role of developed nations in tackling climate change issue?

Developed countries have an obligation to provide means of implementation i.e. climate finance, technology development and transfer and capacity building support to the developing countries in order to empower them to take ambitious climate action. Without this support, developing countries would not be able to deliver on their Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. Thus climate finance is critical to achieving our goals and targets.

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com