UAE launches bid to host COP28 in Abu Dhabi

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, announced that the UAE is looking to host the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – better known as COP 28 – in Abu Dhabi in 2023.

COP 28 will mark a key milestone in achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, as it will witness the first global assessment of individual countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs), as well as defining the features of the next round of contributions. 

"The UAE has all the capabilities, expertise and ingredients to host the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of States Parties, especially since climate action is one of the main pillars of our national economic strategy and our internal and external policies," His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement on WAM. 

“We are witnessing an important stage that requires all countries to accelerate their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change,” he added.

“To achieve this, we must focus on building solid global partnerships and adopting ambitious domestic policies."

The UAE was the first country in the Middle East to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement, and has committed to reduce emissions across all economic sectors within its NDCs. The UAE also hosted preparatory meetings for the United Nations climate conferences in 2014 and 2019, and last month concluded a Regional Climate Dialogue, designed to strengthen regional cooperation on climate action. 

The statement on WAM also highlighted the UAE’s investments in renewable energy over the past 15 years, which have helped to dramatically reduce the cost of renewables and reshaped the global energy market. Since its establishment in 2006, Masdar has played a major role in this shift, with investments in more than 30 countries worldwide, supporting projects with a total capacity of almost 11 gigawatts, displacing close to 6.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually. 

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has established its permanent headquarters at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s flagship sustainable urban development, which serves as a blueprint for reducing cities’ carbon footprint worldwide.  Masdar also hosts Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), one of the world’s leading platforms for accelerating sustainable development and for addressing climate change.  

The UAE is also exploring the possibility of producing green and blue hydrogen through the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance, and is also committed to developing a sustainable market for hydrogen as a source of fuel through international partnerships between the public and private sectors. 

Masdar is working with Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa Group, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Siemens Energy, and Marubeni Corporation on an initiative to establish a demonstrator plant at Masdar City to explore the development of green hydrogen, sustainable fuels and e-kerosene production for transport, shipping, and aviation.