COP28 President-Designate Sultan Al Jaber delivered speech at the UN Environment Aspiration Summit in New York. In his speech, he emphasized the urgency of addressing the global environmental crisis and called on world leaders and the international community to take bold and courageous action. Here are the key points from his speech:
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber stressed the need for the world to act with a sense of urgency and boldness to meet environmental goals. He encouraged leaders to think beyond boundaries, politics, and their lifetimes, emphasizing that climate change is a shared global challenge.
He referred to data from the first Global Stocktake, which indicated that the world is falling short in its efforts to combat climate change but highlighted that it’s not too late to change course. He called for high levels of ambition, specifically mentioning the need to cut 22 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions in the next seven years to reach the 1.5°C target.
Human Capacity to Overcome Challenges: Dr. Sultan Al Jaber expressed confidence in humanity’s ability to collaborate, overcome differences, and take collective action to address the climate crisis.
The speech took place 71 days before COP28, the global climate summit in the UAE. Al Jaber highlighted the importance of both international agreements and concrete actions. He presented the COP28 Action Plan, which includes focusing on an equitable and efficient energy transition, climate finance, improving lives and livelihoods, and promoting inclusivity.
He emphasized the need to transition away from fossil fuels and increase the capacity for renewable energy while improving energy efficiency as the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber called for a transition in sectors that can’t rely solely on renewables and highlighted the importance of developing the entire hydrogen value chain. He urged the oil and gas industry to eliminate methane emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Sultan Al Jaber discussed the need to restore trust among nations and to fulfill the $100 billion climate finance commitment, while also mobilizing private capital through financial system reform and carbon markets.
The speech emphasized the importance of prioritizing clean air, clean water, economic opportunities, and public health in climate discussions. COP28 is the first COP to include global health on its agenda . Sultan Al Jaber called for a more inclusive COP28, involving various stakeholders, including subnational leaders, youth, businesses, indigenous communities, and more.
He concluded by urging leaders to turn their promises into tangible actions and build trust through action. He emphasized the need for courage, boldness, and global cooperation in response to the Global Stocktake.
Overall, the speech highlights the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, the importance of ambitious actions, and the need for a collaborative, inclusive approach to address the global environmental challenges.
