In order to discuss the UAE’s plans for addressing climate change, King Charles III of the United Kingdom met with Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and the incoming president of Cop28.
A photo of the two shaking hands during their Thursday meeting at Buckingham Palace in London was tweeted by the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change.
Described as “an inspirational advocate for environmental action,” Dr. Al Jaber, who is also the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet the monarch.
The Cop28 president-designate looks forward to collaborating with King Charles, his partners and the world “to work closely on solutions at the intersection of climate and nature, focus on concrete actions across sectors to keep 1.5°C alive and support those most affected by climate impacts”, Dr Al Jaber’s office added.
Dr Al Jaber shared details of Cop28’s goal to deliver transformative action on climate change.
The UN climate talks will be held in the UAE later this year.
He later met Baroness Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, to discuss opportunities for youth involvement in the Cop28 agenda and to support reform of international financial institutions to unlock funds for those affected by climate change.
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On Wednesday, Dr Al Jaber said his main priority would be to keep alive the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels.
“I have no intention whatsoever of deviating from the 1.5ºC goal,” said Dr Al Jaber in his first interview since being assigned the role of Cop28 President-designate.
“Keeping 1.5ºC alive is a top priority and it will cut across everything I do.”
As a long-standing campaigner on environmental issues, King Charles has warned of the dangers of climate change.
In 2021, he gave an impassioned speech about the urgency of facing the climate challenge at Cop26 and called for the global response to be put on a “warlike footing”.
Days before Cop27 in Egypt, marked the end of the UK’s role as host of Cop26 by bringing together 200 business leaders, politicians and campaigners to discuss practical measures to tackle climate change.
Earlier this week, King Charles met volunteers from the UK’s Turkish community sending aid to their homeland on Tuesday and expressed how “deeply sorry” he was following the devastating earthquake.
Story adapted from The National News
