Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (DUBAI)
Panellists taking part in a session, held by the Aletihad News Center and TRENDS Research & Advisory on the sidelines of COP28, stressed the urgent need to integrate climate justice into all aspects of climate change responses, commending the United Arab Emirates’ role in placing the issue on the agenda of COP28.
During the panel titled "COP28 and Climate Justice – Steps in the Right Direction", which was opened by Dr. Hamad Al Kaabi, Editor-in-Chief of Aletihad newspaper, and Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, the CEO of TRENDS Research & Advisory, and attended by COP28 delegates and representatives of various public and private sectors, the panellists shed light on the importance of tackling the issue of climate justice and the linkage to sustainable development.
Louise Cord, the Global Director for Social Sustainability and Inclusion at the World Bank's Sustainable Development Practice Group, encapsulated the predominant theme of the event: the urgent need to integrate climate justice into all aspects of climate change response.
"It's heartwarming to see here at COP28, with the UAE, that for the first time, social issues are hitting the mainstream agenda,” Cord said.
"We are expanding our efforts to put resources at the local level, where the most vulnerable people we've learned are at the forefront of fighting climate change. We spent $3.7 billion on 15 projects over the last year to do locally led climate action. This means we give support to communities to develop resilience plans that focus on solutions such as smart agriculture, drought-resilient infrastructure, and maybe adaptive social protection programmes – whatever they decide that they need to build resilience,” Cord added.
At Aletihad News Center and TRENDS Research & Advisory discussion
Panel moderator, Sultan Al Rubaei, Deputy Head of Research and Advisory Sector from TRENDS Research & Advisory, said the accelerating impacts of climate change have increased the need for effective and innovative approaches to drive the decision like never before.
Speaking at the panel, Gernot Laganda, Director of Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction at the UN World Food Programme, voiced appreciation for partners in the UAE in highlighting the issue of climate justice on the agenda of COP28.
"We rely very heavily on our trusted partners such as the UAE to support people on the frontlines of the climate crisis. I would like at this point, to also thank our partners from the UAE for putting this issue of climate justice in the centre of this climate change conference,” Laganda said.
"Partnerships are really important when working in conflict-affected areas. We hope that we can keep working together with the UAE and our other partners to not only provide humanitarian relief, but also provide peace protection. Moreover, preparedness is necessary to avoid an escalating humanitarian crisis,” Laganda added.
"Climate change, mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage protection, and humanitarian aid require joint action. We need to build this system together, Laganda added.
He underscored the humanitarian crisis fuelled by climate change, highlighting the dire need for proactive measures in combating climate change and its repercussions.
"Over the past 15 years, we have seen a steady increase in the number of people who have become dependent on humanitarian aid after more frequent and intense droughts, storms, floods, and heatwaves," he explained.
"In 2022, approximately 57 million people were pushed into hunger by climate extremes alone,” Laganda added, noting that currently, around 333 million people worldwide are facing crisis or emergency levels of hunger.
He highlighted the gap in the existing funding, stressing that the adaptation needs in developing countries stand between $200-300 billion, compared with $21 billion that is currently provided. Laganda thanked the UAE for spotlighting the most vulnerable in the climate conversation during COP28.
Counsellor Salem Al Zaabi, Head of the Federal Emergency, Crisis, and Disasters Prosecution, emphasised the legal aspect of climate justice.
"Justice means delivering rights to everyone," Al Zaabi stated, stressing the UAE's commitment to embedding climate justice within its legal frameworks.
He highlighted the UAE's approach: “In the UAE, we use legislation to protect the right of living in a safe environment by delivering justice to those who are affected by environmental changes."
Al Zaabi also underscored the UAE's role in global climate justice, adding that in the country, “we operate with a firm conviction to deliver human rights and to deliver justice to everyone, even for the new generation”.
Cord further detailed the World Bank's initiatives in addressing the social crisis induced by climate change.
"We invested $38 billion last year in climate finance, about half was for adaptation, and the rest was for mitigation," she noted.
Cord highlighted the importance of locally led climate action and the role of indigenous peoples in stewardship of nature, noting that this COP edition is groundbreaking, as it is the first that allowed the participation of indigenous people.
"Eighty per cent of biodiversity is in the hands of indigenous peoples," she reminded, underscoring the need for direct resource allocation to these communities.
The workshop also focused on the idea of climate justice as an integral part of human rights, urging the affected to share their voice.
Al Zaabi elaborated on this, saying: "Climate justice is linked to human rights… We have to give them the right to say their words.”
Laganda also spoke about the concept of climate justice, emphasising the need for early intervention.
"Once our trucks are rolling, our air drops are coming, we have already failed the people," he stated, advocating for a shift from reactive to preventative measures in the face of climate crises.
The event highlighted the interconnectedness of various sectors in addressing climate change.
Cord remarked on the integration of social sustainability in climate action: "Social sustainability is about creating a world where we thrive today, where our children and grandchildren will also thrive."
She emphasised the need for inclusive decision-making processes and the importance of trust in building resilient communities, and praised the UAE's role in bringing social issues to the forefront at COP28.
"It's heartwarming to see… for the first time, that social issues are hitting the mainstream agenda," Cord said.
From humanitarian aid to legal frameworks, from social crises to the stewardship of nature, the event underscored the need for a holistic approach to climate change.
