The Minister of Environment, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, participates in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023, which takes place from January 14 to 19, 2023.

The Minister of Environment will hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of her participation in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The talks will tackle as well securing energy supplies in parallel with efforts to realize climate neutrality.

Also, the minister will take part in a high-level event held under the theme of "road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28)'s ambitions, inclusion and equality."

About (ADSW)

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is a global initiative championed by the UAE and its clean energy powerhouse Masdar to accelerate sustainable development.

For over 15 years, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, hosted by Masdar, has reinforced the UAE’s commitment to addressing global challenges as a responsible leader on climate action, energy transition and sustainable economic development. ​

ADSW 2023 is held under the patronage of UAE President H.H Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the period from January 14 to 19, under the theme of “United on Climate Action Toward COP28.”

ADSW 2023, the first international sustainability gathering of the year, continues this commitment, driving the global conversation on practical, pro-climate, pro-growth solutions for a better future for people and planet and playing a critical role in building momentum in the run up to COP28 later in the year.

Through impactful and inclusive dialogue, ADSW 2023 will turn ambition into action, helping to transform pledges into practical outcomes and forging partnerships, committing investment and launching technologies and solutions that accelerate sustainable development around the world.

Objectives

•  ADSW will contribute to setting sustainability agenda ahead of COP28, the Emirates Climate Conference.

• Under theme of ‘United on Climate Action Toward COP28,’ ADSW 2023 will demonstrate UAE leadership’s commitment to practical, inclusive climate action

• ADSW will convene global sustainability decision makers and key stakeholders for impactful dialogue ahead of critical Global Stocktake that will take place at COP28

• The ADSW Summit, hosted by Masdar and taking place on January 16, will focus on a wide range of critical topics including Food and Water Security, Energy Access, Industrial Decarbonization, Health, and Climate Adaptation.

•     ADSW 2023 will also feature inaugural Green Hydrogen Summit

• ADSW 2023 will also seek to engage youth in climate action, with its Youth for Sustainability platform holding the Y4S Hub, which aims to attract 3,000 young people.

•  ADSW 2023 will also feature the annual forum for Masdar’s Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform, giving women a greater voice in the sustainability debate.

•     The 2023 ADSW will also mark the 15th anniversary of the Zayed Sustainability Prize – the UAE’s pioneering global award for recognizing excellence in sustainability. 

Agenda

Key dates for ADSW 2023 include:

•     14 – 15 January: IRENA Assembly, Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum

•     16 January: Opening Ceremony, COP28 Strategy Announcement and Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, ADSW Summit

•     16 – 18 January: World Future Energy Summit, Youth 4 Sustainability Hub, Innovate

•     17 January: WiSER Forum

•     18 January: Green Hydrogen Summit and Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum

Activities

15/01/2023

The Global Energy Forum

Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad, participated in the Global Energy Forum held by Atlantic Council in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN climate change high level champion for Egypt, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Francesco La Camera and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Sustainable Energy Damilola Ogunbiyi.

The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum is part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) the UAE is hosting 14-19 January. The ADSW is convening heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, investors, youth and entrepreneurs, for impactful dialogues on the transition to a net-zero future.

In her speech, the environment minister reviewed the outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Shiekh in November 2022.

She noted that the COP27 proved the effectiveness of multilateralism, as it reached decisions on the issues of mitigation, adaptation and climate finance, as well as agreeing on the establishment of a fund for losses and damage.

Fouad expounded the initiatives launched at the COP27, including the Africa Just and Affordable Energy Transition Initiative (AJAETI) that calls for transferring technology, offering concessional finance and providing access to clean energy.

Fouad also spoke about the role of women in countering climate change, for being the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, noting they play a main part in the interrelationship between energy, water and food.

For his part, Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN climate change high level champion for Egypt, said that the outcomes of 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) are paving the way to make the next COP, set to be held this November in the UAE, a success in pushing climate action and achieving climate targets.

Mohieldin, who is also the UN special envoy on financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, stated that Egypt and the UAE will work together to enhance international climate action by building on what had been achieved at the previous COPs.

Mohieldin explained that COP27 succeeded in keeping the goals of decarbonisation on the top of the agenda, in addition to achieving notable progress in the adaptation file by launching the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda.

Mohieldin said that "The establishment of Loss and Damage Fund is the most important result of COP27, which represents a success for the diplomacy of Egypt presidency of the conference and all climate action negotiations parties," 

adding that the UN secretary general praised this achievement as a great diplomatic success.

Mohieldin highlighted the importance of finance for climate action, explaining that mobilising finance and investments and directing them to the right climate action could be achieved through focusing on local, regional and international aspects.

Locally, thus means financing efficient climate projects, he said, referring to Egypt’s National Initiative for Smart Green Projects that has created an investments map across the country’s governorates through a national contest for the best green and smart projects.

Regionally, Mohieldin pointed to the five regional roundtables initiative held by Egypt’s presidency of COP27, UN regional economic commissions and high-level champions (HLCs), saying that the initiative resulted in a number of very special and various projects that reflect the regional priorities and represent promising opportunities of investment and financing.

Mohieldin also said: "Internationally, it is not enough anymore to talk about the $100 billion pledged by developed countries in the Copenhagen conference. According to a study conducted by high-level experts under the leadership of Vera Songwe and Nicholas Stern, climate action requires $1 trillion annually until 2025 and then $2.4 trillion until 2030,"

He stressed that financing climate action requires activating debt reduction mechanisms and debt swaps for co-investing in nature and climate, activating carbon markets and the adoption of soft criteria by the development banks and finance institutions.

Mohieldin noted that there is a big interest in investing in renewables, stressing that this interest should be met with a role of international financing entities and development banks to help governments in reducing energy project risks and – therefore – encouraging private sector participation.

The climate champion affirmed the necessity of unifying climate action efforts, saying that the high cost of climate action is lower than the cost of treating damages of climate change.

The high-level first session on transition from COP27 to COP28

Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad took part in the high-level first session on transition from COP27 to COP28.

The session, attended by UN climate change champion for Egypt Mahmoud Mohieldin, focused on important questions about the COP27 outcome and ways to move forward to the COP28.

Fouad underlined the importance of the COP28 to be hosted by the UAE, as it will follow up on the implementation of COP27 recommendations on mitigation, adaptation and climate finance, in addition to the governance of the loss and damage fund. 

16/01/2023

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, President of the COP27, participated in Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) as a keynote speaker in a session dedicated to discussing the outcomes of the COP27 Climate Change Conference held in November in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.

Addressing the session, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the COP28 climate change conference due to be held late this year in the United Arab Emirates, will be a chance for building on the success of COP27.

He reviewed the most important topics of COP27 conference, which was attended by heads of state of 120 countries who reiterated their support to support climate work.

The foreign minister highlighted a decision to include an item about the loss and damage during the Sharm conference according to the collective will of the international community.

He said that COP27 focused on efforts to ease the effects of the climate change and stressed the importance of maintaining the Paris Accords Goals to mitigate the effects of emissions.