The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is pleased to take the lead in engaging the U.S. business community to encourage and facilitate their participation in COP 28, which is scheduled to take place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 at Expo City Dubai. The summit will serve as a platform for the U.A.E. to showcase its leadership on climate action and as an opportunity to drive sustainable economic and social development for all nations.
In November 2021, the U.A.E. was selected to host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the U.A.E. would “commit ourselves as a nation to supporting the entire international community in accelerating our combined efforts to overcome the very real threat of climate change.” Moreover, he said the U.A.E. Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, announced earlier that year, showed the U.A.E.’s “unwavering commitment to promoting climate action.”
In June 2022, His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, announced the reformation of the U.A.E.’s National Higher Committee to oversee preparations for COP 28. His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed serves as committee chairman, and His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the U.A.E.’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, is vice chairman. The National Higher Committee met on September 13, 2022, to discuss priorities and affirmed that the U.A.E. would lead an ambitious, inclusive, and solutions-oriented approach to the global climate summit in 2023.
Since the formation of this Committee, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council has worked closely with H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber’s office to engage the U.S. business community surrounding COP 28. The Council’s activities have included and will include:
- High-profile events with H.E. Sultan Al Jaber and other key members of the COP 28 Higher Committee, including H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; H.E. Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment; and H.E. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade.
- Working-group meetings that provide an opportunity for U.S. and U.A.E. businesses to engage with officials and each other regarding topics such as new energy, green finance, agriculture, heavy industry, and transportation.
- White papers and reports that offer key industry recommendations for the U.A.E. and U.S. Governments.
- An array of high-profile events during COP 28 itself, including a networking reception, CEO dinner, and panels that showcase American innovation.
The above builds on the longstanding activities of the Business Council’s “Climate Change Working Group,” which the Council established in early 2021, following the appointment of H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber as the U.A.E.’s Special Envoy for Climate. This working group has since hosted numerous events and activities, including with the U.A.E. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, U.A.E. Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, U.A.E. Ministry of Economy, and the offices of the U.A.E. Special Envoy for Climate Change and U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change.
