The two-day agenda for the upcoming inaugural Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting has been announced, with UN Secretary General António Guterres set to welcome more than 1000 of the world’s leading political figures and climate action experts to the UAE capital.
Set to run on June 30 and July 1 at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the high-level gathering aims to outline the agenda and draft resolutions to be actioned at the UN Climate Change Meeting in New York this September.
As well as the UN Secretary General, headline speakers at the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting (ADCM) include His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment and Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth will moderate a panel on the first day of the event.
The UAE is set to welcome leading climate action advocates including ministers from Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. Also, among the participants are heads of states from some of the most vulnerable countries that face natural disasters, changing landscapes and resilience issues. Policy makers driving change, such as Miguel Arias Cañete, European Union Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, who is working with Member States to ensure that the EU becomes climate neutral by 2050, will also be at the event.
In addition to international ministers and policy makers, leading experts, such as Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), who has made tackling the health impacts of climate change one of WHO’s five key priorities, will also play a key role during ADCM.
Highlighting the importance of the event to the UAE at a press conference, His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said: “We are all aware that the threat of climate change is so serious that it requires international cooperation and multilateral climate action. The UAE is therefore honored to serve as the host for such significant discussions in partnership with the United Nations.
“We are also privileged to have the opportunity to showcase the work we are doing here in the UAE and to demonstrate our unequivocal commitment and proactive approach to climate action. This approach has always stemmed from our belief that ambitious climate action does and always will make sound business sense.”
He added: “Over two days, the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting will feature five high-level roundtable discussions and plenary sessions that bring together the world’s leading advocates of climate action. During the sessions, they will define ways to tackle and mitigate the effects of climate change on the planet and on its people.
“This is not a ‘business as usual’ event – there is tangible evidence of the changes already underway. The Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting will set the course for the Climate Action Summit in New York this September, and in conjunction with the UN we are determined to make 2019 the year of international cooperation and leadership in climate action.”
