Chaired by Abdullah bin Zayed, COP29 Preparatory Committee discusses UAE’s plans, initiatives

ABU DHABI/WAM

HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the UAE’s Participation in COP29, has stressed the importance of following up on the implementation of the historic UAE Consensus to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
This came as Sheikh Abdullah chaired the committee’s fourth meeting, held remotely to review the progress achieved over the past six months and discuss the UAE’s participation and action plan for the 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29), which will be hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan in November.
Sheikh Abdullah praised the intensive diplomatic efforts made by the working teams since COP28 concluded in December. He said, “COP28 was a historic event where the UAE Consensus and the COP Presidency’s action plan provided a successful model for multilateral diplomacy, producing a comprehensive negotiation text with practical solutions to mitigate climate change.”
He added that COP29 in Azerbaijan presents an opportunity to build on those achievements and continue turning agreed outcomes into reality.
He also commended Azerbaijan’s efforts in advancing global climate action and wished the country success in hosting COP29.
Sheikh Abdullah emphasised the growing ties between the UAE and Azerbaijan across all sectors, including climate action, expressing his desire to build on the success of the UAE Consensus and COP28 to enhance the COP29 agenda and global climate efforts.
The committee reviewed future plans and initiatives to support the success of COP29, scheduled to take place in Baku this November. Discussions also covered the COP28 Presidency’s participation in related events, progress on its action plan, and collaboration with the COP29 team.
The working teams highlighted key points from the COP29 Presidency’s messaging, including raising ambitions, climate finance, empowering climate action, international cooperation, loss and damage, and the action agenda.
The meeting also touched on the UAE’s water-related initiatives, stressing the need to highlight this issue during the country’s participation in Azerbaijan.
Additionally, the committee discussed the pivotal role of the UAE’s national negotiating team at COP29, focusing on enhancing the team’s role in representing the country’s positions.
The UAE’s efforts to submit transparent reports on its climate commitments, in line with its membership in the UNFCCC, were reviewed, including the Cabinet’s decision to join the Partnership for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC Partnership), a coalition aiming to promote sustainable development and tools for climate adaptation.
The Preparatory Committee for the UAE’s Participation in COP29 includes ministers and officials from various sectors.
During the meeting, committee members outlined their preparations for the UAE’s participation in COP29 to ensure cohesive government efforts across strategic, diplomatic, economic, and technological sectors, ensuring the UAE’s active role in the conference and reinforcing its international climate commitments and legacy from COP28.
At the close of the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah thanked committee members and urged them to continue supporting and guiding efforts to raise ambitions and enhance climate action.