His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President of Iceland and Chairman of the non-profit organization Arctic Circle, today signed a letter of intent to host the Himalaya – Third Pole Forum in Abu Dhabi in January 2021.
The letter of intent was signed on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2020) that is currently underway at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
The forum will run under the theme ‘The Arctic and the Third Pole – Himalaya: The Frontlines of Climate Change’ with the aim of highlighting the importance of international collaboration in the Arctic for the future of the glaciers in the Third Pole – the Himalayan region and the water resources of Asia.
In addition, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi participated in the seventh Green Group Ministerial Roundtable that convened ministers and senior representatives of the Green Group. The group has six member countries dedicated to the transition to a green economy and the use of renewables: Slovenia – the founding member, Singapore, Iceland, Costa Rica, the UAE, and Cabo Verde.
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “As the world continues to see extreme weather events that are becoming worse in the degree of devastation they cause to all living beings, the importance of government-led groups such as the Green Group – with its diverse and credible membership – becomes clear. Together, we have the potential to become a positive force at a time of dangerous environmental threats.”
He added: “Among our six nations, each Green Group member brings to the table their unique experience of handling specific environmental challenges. These diverse experiences allow us to share a host of solutions and best practices that might benefit not just us but also other nations around the world that choose to learn from them.”
In addition, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi participated in an interactive panel titled ‘Before it’s Too Late: Meeting the Paris Agreement’ as part of the Future Sustainability Summit. Answering a question on the UAE’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), he said: “The UAE aims to achieve a target of 50 percent clean energy in its total energy mix by 2050, generated from renewable and nuclear power sources. This will more than double the existing target of 24 percent by 2021, as reflected in the country’s first NDC.”
He added: “Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) plans to strengthen its commitment to environmental stewardship: By 2030, it will increase its carbon capture utilization and storage capacity by 500 percent to capture the same amount of CO2 as five million acres of forest.”
His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi also met with His Excellency Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs of Bahrain, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Mubarak Bin Daina, Chief Executive of Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Environment, His Excellency Rennier Gadabu, Minister for Commerce, Industry & Environment, Climate Change, and Infrastructure Development of Nauru, and David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy.
