UAE BARQ برق الإمارات – نبضك
The second annual conference of TRENDS – Atlantic Council, held under the theme “Sustainable Security of the Middle East: Climate Change, Challenges, and Prospects”, kicked off on Wednesday at the premises of the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C., with the participation of 30 political experts, academics, researchers and specialists from around the world.
The opening speech was delivered by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence. He stated that the risks of climate change in the Middle East are very real and that there is an urgent need for coordinated efforts across all nations of the Middle East region as well as cooperation between government agencies, municipalities, the industrial sector, civil society and universities in the region to help find solutions to local and regional climate change matters.
He added that an educational system that supports the environment is essential and that research, scientific data, knowledge sharing, and transfer of technology are critical to promoting and monitoring progress and measuring success. Sheikh Nahyan pointed out that the second annual conference of TRENDS – Atlantic Council will help boost climate change plans and actions, adding that it is not too late to win the climate change battle in the Middle East, and that every step we take will impact the lives of our children and grandchildren.
Smart solutions to key climate challenges
In his keynote speech, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, stated that this conference will contribute to finding solutions to combat climate change and that the next two COPs, which are set to take place in the region, will be an ideal platform to address the topic of finding smart solutions to key climate challenges.
He pointed out that the UAE has invested over US$50 billion in renewable energy projects across 70 countries, and that the country has ambitious plans to expand its global renewable energy footprint to beyond 100 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
Dr. Al Jaber stressed that the UAE will continue to work with all its partners to seize economic opportunities of the energy transition, adding that as the UAE prepares to host COP28 next year, it will drive momentum towards greater climate progress through practical, actionable plans.
A threat to sustainable security
In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory, said that the conference will provide insights into how best to support regional and international efforts to address the threat of global warming, while helping provide a better understanding of the challenges that hampered previous efforts and how to overcome them.
He stated that the crises and disasters that the world has witnessed in recent years reinforce the reality that the dangers of this phenomenon have already shifted from possible scenarios explored by think tanks to immediate serious threats that require concerted efforts to deal with their different dimensions.
Al Ali stated that the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts seen around the world have demonstrated the need to reshape the mechanisms of international and regional cooperation, as well as achieve regional water and food security as a necessary entry point for achieving green security.
