by Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
Governments and stakeholders are gathering in person for the first-ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, (MENACW) 2022, which opened today with a strong call to accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement.
MENACW 2022 is being held through 31 March and is hosted by the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in collaboration with the UN and other multilateral agencies. This is following last November’s COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
There are three key areas in focus at MENACW 2022: Integrating ambitious action across key economic sectors in national planning; Adapting to climate risks and building resilience into development strategies; and Seizing transformational opportunities through technology innovation and breakthrough solutions.
Decisions at COP26 give clarity on adapting to climate change, reducing emissions and the climate finance needed to achieve bold climate goals.
A common set of guidelines was agreed to allow all nations to move forward together, this is especially important for the MENA region, a major energy producing region where temperatures are set to soar if climate change is left unchecked.
Ms. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE said: “This inaugural MENA Climate Week underscores our commitment to drive collective action to combat climate change regionally and globally. The event will explore key issues that shape climate response in this region, such as resilience against climate risks, transition to a low-emission economy and collaboration to solve pressing challenges.”
In addition to hosting MENACW 2022, the UAE is the first MENA-region country to launch a plan for net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan includes 600 billion dirhams ($163 billion) investment in renewable energy. The UAE already boasts the largest single site solar park in the world, which is projected to save over 6.5 million tons of carbon emissions each year.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa recognized the host country for its ongoing climate leadership: “The Glasgow Climate Pact agreed at COP26 recognizes the powerful potential of regional collaboration to drive global progress. MENA Climate Week 2022 advances efforts to open opportunity in the transition to net-zero emissions and protect communities and economies against the worst impacts from climate change. Bringing together stakeholders to discuss regional solutions strengthens the global response to climate change,” she said.
Mr. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the World Green Economy Organization and Managing Director and CEO of DEWA said: “MENA Climate Week 2022 is an opportunity to press forward, leverage the momentum and continue to enhance climate ambition and climate action.
“The UAE has shown a clear commitment to embracing and building momentum for the green-economy shift, along with significant investment in renewable energy. The UAE is one of the first countries in the MENA region to launch a concrete initiative to achieve this ambitious climate commitment and we hope others will follow.”
Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, said: “As the world works towards COP27 in Egypt, this MENA Regional Climate Week will bring countries and communities together to drive forward the growing green recovery through the sharing of best practice on climate action in key areas such as climate finance, climate-smart agriculture, low-carbon mobility as well as innovative climate adaptation solutions.”
Dr. Venkata Putti, Program Manager, Climate Change Group at The World Bank, said: “As the MENA region is among the most vulnerable to climate change, the upcoming inaugural MENA Climate Week is an indispensable platform and key milestone after a series of net-zero commitments made by Gulf countries. The World Bank looks forward to leading the consultations on national actions and economy-wide approaches to deliver sustainable, green recovery and decarbonization.”
MENACW 2022 is also one of the first opportunities to carry regional momentum forward to COP27 in Egypt. The event encourages engagement with the UN’s Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns and ensures that regional voices are part of the multilateral climate process.
