TAHA HASEEB (ABU DHABI)

In the Year of Sustainability, and 42 days before the launch of COP28, the 18th annual Aletihad Forum was held on Thursday under the theme “COP 28: The UAE’s message to save the planet”. 

The Forum, which is held on the anniversary of the issuance of Aletihad newspaper, included three themes: Confronting the climate challenge from an Emirati perspective, climate change and green economy opportunities, and international cooperation to bridge the gap between the Global North and the Global South. 

Forum participants concluded that the UAE is mobilising the whole world in the climate summit, and it has great ambitions to make COP28 a turning point in global climate action with clear commitments to curb warming and implement the Paris Climate Agreement. In COP28, the UAE presents its experience to the world as a model for balanced development that achieves prosperity, protects the environment, and preserves resources for future generations.

The sessions were presented by media personality, Ahlam Al Suwaidi. 

Hamad Al Kaabi, Director of Aletihad News Center, affirmed in his opening speech at the Forum, that the UAE has set realistic goals for COP28, especially in terms of accelerating emissions reductions, achieving a just transition in the energy sector, stimulating climate finance, and presenting a comprehensive vision that brings together countries from around the world and represents all segments of society. 

Al Kaabi noted that the Forum is an opportunity to highlight the most prominent climate event in 2023, and added that “science alone is capable of diagnosing climate change, and with it, humanity can innovate realistic paths to overcome this challenge”.

The UAE Perspective
The first session was moderated by media personality, Suhail Al Zubaidi, under the theme “Confronting the Challenge from an Emirati Perspective”, where Aisha Hassan Al Suwaidi, Head of the Climate Department in Abu Dhabi, explained that Abu Dhabi’s climate change strategy focuses on two main axes, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi’s governmental bodies: adapting to climate change, and mitigating its repercussions. 

The Emirate aims to secure 100% of the most vulnerable sectors in the face of climate change, especially the sectors of environment, health, infrastructure, and energy, as well as achieving climate neutrality by 2050, Al Suwaidi explained.

Dr. Jamal Al-Sawalhi, an academic specialist in electrical engineering, confirmed that the UAE’s leadership in renewable energy comes with huge investment, as it is the leader in the Middle East in terms of solar energy production and early steps to combat climate change.

Emirati Initiatives
Dr. Salem Hameed, a writer and researcher from the UAE, spoke about the UAE’s initiatives in sustainability and climate neutrality, especially regarding its membership in global organisations concerned with, and international agreements related to climate change. He also spoke about the country’s efforts to increase the contribution of clean energy to the total energy mix produced in the country to 50%, and to reduce carbon emissions in the process of electricity production by 70% over the next three decades. 

Hameed pointed out that the UAE has invested a total of $16.8 billion in renewable energy projects in 70 countries. 
Green Opportunities The Forum’s second session, “Climate Change and Green Economy Opportunities “, was moderated by Emirati writer and researcher Salem Salmin Al Naimi, who pointed out that developing countries are the most affected by the consequences of climate change, despite the fact that advanced countries have contributed the most to the climate crisis. 

Al-Naimi referred to Yemen and Somalia as the two countries most affected by climate change in the Arab region, concluding that climate neutrality is “collective security for the whole world”.

Dr. Khalid Mohammed Al Marri, Dean of Research and Head of the Research, Innovation, and Special Projects Department at the British University in Dubai, presented a paper titled “The Circular Economy... How does it Ensure Accelerating Climate Neutrality?” Dr. Al Marri concluded that the circular economy is based on the sustainable management of materials used in the production process, in order to reduce waste and prevent wastage. He conlcuded that there is a need for Dh600 billion in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

According to Dr. Al Marri, the circular economy also aims to create a lower carbon footprint and to extend the life of products so that they are not produced again. He drew attention to the dilemma of vehicles, which produce 15% of the country’s carbon emissions, noting that there are trends towards producing alternative fuels, especially in the context of blue and green hydrogen pathways, biofuels, and green infrastructure. 

Also during the session, Dr. Ebtesam Al Mazrouei, the Executive Director and Senior Researcher in Charge of the Artificial Intelligence Unit at the Technical Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi, touched on the role of artificial intelligence applications in enhancing climate action. According to Dr. Al Mazrouei, these applications are expected to contribute an estimated $13 trillion to the global GDP by 2030.

She also referred to important applications of AI in data analysis, aimed at monitoring emissions, predicting natural disasters, and managing sustainable agriculture, as well as in irrigation technologies to combat water wastage. 

Sustainable Development Solutions
In a video titled “Addressing the Climate Challenge with Sustainable Development,” French researcher and writer Pascal Boniface, founder and director of the Institute for International and Strategic Relations, addressed the third session by stating that sustainable development is the effective solution to the climate change dilemma. 

Boniface noted that as the COP28 conference kicks off in the UAE, it is truly important to talk about sustainable development, which he described as “the best way to fight global warming while maintaining human rights for a better life”. Boniface said that global warming is the main challenge facing humanity, and stated that if we do not control it, planet Earth will simply become uninhabitable.

Dr. Waheed Abdel Meguid, an advisor at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, participated in the third session with a message about the role of technological development in combatting climate change. 

He concluded that technological development is both a cause of the crisis and a means to remedy it, adding that COP28 is an opportunity to exchange technical expertise, especially as the UAE is a pioneer in the field of clean technology. 

Concluding the Forum, the participants stated that the UAE’s hosting of COP28 is a culmination of its unprecedented efforts and initiatives in the region in terms of renewable energy, sustainable cities, and green transition strategies. The Forum also honoured the speakers, as well as Dr. Mohammed Al Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory.

Hamad Al Kaabi also thanked the TRENDS Research and Advisory for its fruitful cooperation with Aletihad News Center in organising a discussion session for young media professionals on the sidelines of the annual Aletihad Forum. 

Al Kaabi also thanked Dr. Saleh Al-Rifai, President of the Arab Open University - North America in Washington, D.C. who was the guest of honour at the Forum. 

For his part, Al-Rifai, thanked the Government of Abu Dhabi and Aletihad newspaper, describing it as a comprehensive umbrella for creativity, saying: “Aletihad means the Emirates… a voice that unites, and does not divide.”