The COP28 Presidency arrived in New York for the UN General Assembly to advance its Action Agenda and consult with world leaders on how to deliver progress at COP28 in the UAE. Dr. Al Jaber used his first public intervention of the visit to raise the importance of putting health at the center of climate diplomacy and the need to mobilize investment for equitable, climate-resilient health systems.
Speaking against the backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly and New York Climate Week, alongside Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Malawi, Dr. Al Jaber called on the international community to address the crucial connection between climate change and health. He said: “The connection between health and climate change is evident, yet it has not been a specific focus of the COP process — until now. This must change.”
Climate health is a key part of the COP28 Presidency’s Action Agenda, under the pillar of focusing on lives and livelihoods. COP28 will host the first-ever Health Day and climate-health ministerial at a COP, which will be co-hosted by the WHO and several countries. During his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber thanked the country champions, Brazil, the UK, the USA, the Netherlands, Kenya, Fiji, India, Egypt, Sierra Leone, and Germany for their work to lead the climate health discussions at COP28. COP28 CEO Adnan Amin also addressed the event to emphasize the importance of health in the COP28 agenda in a fireside chat moderated by Dr. Vanessa Kerry, WHO Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health.
Dr. Al Jaber held further consultations and discussions with world leaders in New York designed to build momentum and agreement around the Presidency’s Action Agenda. The four key pillars of the Action Agenda include fast tracking a just and orderly energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people, lives and livelihoods, and underpinning everything with full inclusivity.
Dr. Al Jaber consulted with world global leaders including Kenya’s President William Ruto, and Larry Fink, amongst others to discuss delivering solutions at COP28. He also addressed members of the Council on Foreign Relations along with H.E. Shamma and H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, where they presented and discussed the COP28 Action Agenda.
Dr. Al Jaber was accompanied by the wider COP28 Presidency team, including UN Youth Climate Champion H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion H.E. Razan Al Mubarak COP28 Director-General, Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi and COP28 CEO H.E. Adnan Amin.
COP28 Director-General, Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, spoke at the MIT Solve Challenges finals on how to fund and scale up climate technologies. The event brought together global investors, philanthropists, and other leaders to reveal the most promising tech-based solutions to the climate crisis.
Ambassador Al Suwaidi also addressed global CEOs as part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative on how the private sector can play a role in addressing climate change. The Initiative was launched by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020 and convenes global leaders to drive a sustainable energy transition. In both events Al Suwaidi raised the importance of private sector innovation, investment, and involvement at COP28 to deliver solutions across all climate pillars.
H.E. Razan Al Mubarak also attended events to raise the importance of nature-positive solutions. Speaking at the Nature Positive Hub, Al Mubarak launched a High-Level Champion-led paper on mobilizing private capital for nature to meet climate and nature goals which contains case studies and recommendations on delivery of private sector capital to deliver nature-based solutions.
The visit to New York coincides with New York Climate Week and the UN General Assembly where world leaders are convening to progress collective action on humanity’s greatest shared challenges, such as the climate crisis.
Notes to Editors COP28 UAE:
• COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
• As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
• The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.”
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