Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week opens

The first major global sustainability event to take place since COP27, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, will open this week with the aim of consolidating climate action in the run up to COP28.

Taking place from 14-19 January the week will see key global stakeholders discuss how to advance the net zero agenda under the theme ‘United on Climate Action Toward COP28’.

ADSW will also mark the first public appearance of Her Excellency Ms. Razan Al Mubarak as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion from the COP28 Presidency.

In partnership with Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP27, the two High-Level Champions are committed to mobilising stronger and more ambitious climate action amongst non state actors (NSAs).

This will include promoting the work of Race to Zero and Race to Resilience partners, reinforcing the Sharm el Sheikh Adaptation Agenda — the first comprehensive global plan to rally both States and NSAs behind enhancing resilience for 4 billion people — and driving progress on the 2030 Breakthroughs which provide sectors a clear roadmap to halving emissions by 2030.

Newly appointed Ms. Razan Al Mubarak will share her extensive knowledge and expertise on how conservation and nature-based solutions can accelerate climate action during the ADSW Opening Summit, The Road to COP28 panel event. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, COP27 President, Egypt; Laurent Fabius, President Constitutional Council, France and Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC will also be present.

In addition, Ms. Razan Al Mubarak will emphasize the need for inclusivity in global climate action at the “Women in Diplomacy Event – Empowering Lives and Livelihoods – Renewables for Adaptation”, organised by the International Renewables Energy Agency (IRENA).

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt and COP27, will deliver a keynote address at the opening plenary of The Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum during which he will call for an increase in investment to accelerate clean energy deployment and outline how the Champions will support and advance this through its Regional Finance Forums programme.

Dr. Mohieldin will also address the need for urgent mobilisation of climate finance for renewable energy projects during ‘‘The Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) Platform’ – a multi-stakeholder climate finance solution dedicated to advance the global energy transition. At the at the Youth 4 Sustainability Forum he will emphasise the need to increase investment in youth-led projects particularly in the developing world,

He will be joined in the week by COP26 High-Level Champion Nigel Topping to discuss the power of public-private commitments to finance and scale clean energy solutions and address the “inefficient, insufficient and unfair’ system of development finance.

In their roles as High-Level Champions, both Ms. Razan Al-Mubarak and Dr. Mohieldin will outline the critical role the wider NSA community must play in delivering the first ever Global Stocktake — a comprehensive assessment of progress against climate goals to inform all decision-makers on what is needed and where the opportunities exist to do more.

The week falls during a month of unprecedented heat in Europe, historic storms and flooding in California. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ranks the past eight years as the warmest on record globally and states that “global warming and other long-term climate change trends are expected to continue.” It’s a fact that’s not gone unnoticed by the NSA community which is already demonstrating how ambitious climate action is both possible and preferable.

More than 11,000 NSAs committed to Race to Zero are now publishing their transition plans. Similarly, an extensive network of global partners across all sectors are contributing to achieving the specific near term goals of the Sharm El Sheikh adaptation agenda and 2030 Breakthroughs.

Such action must continue to inform and inspire others to follow. The Climate Champions are committed to working with all NSAs to build on this momentum and accelerate progress in 2023.