UAE’s climate diplomacy initiatives propel global action towards COP28 objectives

ABU DHABI / WAM

Climate diplomacy is a cornerstone of the UAE’s efforts to mobilise global collaboration among organisations, individuals, and both public and private sectors in concrete actions supporting global climate work, aligning with the UAE’s hosting of COP28. The UAE, as the first country in the region to sign and ratify the Paris Agreement and the first in the Middle East and North Africa to announce a strategic initiative for climate neutrality by 2050, places significant emphasis on fostering fruitful international partnerships in sustainability and climate.
Initiatives like the capacity building programme, launched by the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) in collaboration with the Office for the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, are aimed at enhancing knowledge, information and skills to address climate change through progressive climate action.
This training programme targets senior government officials, corporate executives, diplomats, negotiators and advisors and focuses on the essentials of climate change, regional climate priorities, climate diplomacy, the energy transition and the UAE’s net-zero strategic initiative. The courses provide training on communication, stakeholder engagement and other essential topics to enhance the role of the public and private sectors in delivering social and economic progress through climate action.
The AGDA, in collaboration with Mubadala and Adnoc, established the Centre for Climate Diplomacy to support climate research and underscore the importance of research efforts in shaping the country’s climate policy and driving climate action.The centre’s main objectives include fostering cooperation with academic institutions and research centres in the Middle East, establishing a regional climate research centre, and forming partnerships with public and private sectors to support climate neutrality efforts.
Aligned with global priorities highlighted at COP28, the centre will serve as a sustainable platform for experts, researchers, and policymakers to collaborate and address the challenges posed by the escalating climate crisis.
Simultaneously, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) have launched an Executive Diploma on Climate Change Diplomacy and Sustainability to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to address critical issues related to sustainability, climate change, and climate negotiations.
Additionally, the Arab Youth Centre, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AGDA, Abu Dhabi School of Government (ADSG), and the UNITAR, initiated the ‘Young Arab Diplomatic Leaders’ programme.
Benefiting from strategic partnerships with Arab and international diplomatic expertise, this programme provides specialised and advanced content to prepare young Arabs for diplomatic roles in climate affairs.
The programme includes training sessions, workshops, and meetings with prominent diplomats focusing on future foresight, cross-cultural communication, climate change governance, negotiation art, advanced climate negotiation concepts, multilateral negotiations, financing, and advanced climate diplomacy.
Furthermore, the Arab Youth Centre, in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to the United Arab Emirates, launched the second edition of the “Negotiation Skills Bootcamp – Cohort52” in Abu Dhabi, under the umbrella of the ‘Young Arab Diplomatic Leaders’ programme.
This camp enhanced the capabilities of youth in the diplomatic and non-diplomat sectors, developing their professional negotiation skills to engage effectively in international discussions and negotiations and representing the Arab community in climate-related forums within the framework of COP28.