The UK's climate envoy has pledged to work with the UAE to offer crucial support to the nations most vulnerable to the growing threat of extreme weather events.
Rachel Kyte, who was appointed UK Special Representative for Climate in October, said the international community has a responsibility to work together to tackle pressing environmental challenges. Both the UK and the UAE have laid out robust climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), ahead of a February deadline set by the United Nations.
These climate targets are expected to be a major focus of the Cop30 UN climate talks in Brazil in November. Ms Kyte said it was critical to assist other countries in achieving their own targets, for the collective wellbeing of the planet. "They need to know that there's international support for them to do what will be needed for that NDC to be reached, and the large part of that is the energy transition." said Ms Kyte.
Slashing emissions
The UAE announced its NDC plans ahead of Cop29 in Baku – with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 47 per cent by 2035. Meanwhile, the UK announced its own plans in November, committing to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81 per cent by 2035, from 1990 levels.
Ms Kyte told The National that these two sets of ambitious NDCs now act as beacons for other countries to follow. "Now we're engaged in what we call NDC diplomacy together with the Secretary General and other leading countries trying to make sure that everybody else's ambition is appropriately high."
This, Ms Kyte said, also provides an opportunity for the UK and UAE to work together to support Brazil ahead of the country hosting the world's largest climate talks. "We will work together with other leading countries to help Brazil deliver the next climate conference. It's how UAE invests in Britain, how Britain invests in UAE, and then how the two of us work with the rest of the world."
Green partnerships
Earlier this month, the EU's climate change monitoring system confirmed that 2024 had been the hottest year on record, with global temperatures remaining 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average. Ms Kyte said the road to renewables is vital to achieving climate targets, and that her trip to the UAE was intended to help the UK along that road.
"The UK's domestic priorities include driving our energy transition and getting to a net zero energy system by 2030, a net zero economy by 2050, so that's very ambitious, and that requires lots of investment." said Kyte. "One reason why I'm here is that the UAE is one of the biggest investors in our renewable energy sector."
The UK's climate chief added that there is room for the UK and UAE to collaborate in areas such as artificial intelligence. "We have a responsibility to work together to protect people elsewhere in the world who can't protect themselves from extreme weather events." said Ms Kyte.
Will Trump topple climate progress?
On January 20, Donald Trump will be sworn into the White House for a second term as US president. During Mr Trump's last administration, the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement – a legally binding international treaty on climate change with the main goal of limiting temperature increases to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
On whether a change in climate course for the US could derail progress that has been made on renewable energy and climate diplomacy, Ms Kyte said that we will have to "wait and see". However, Ms Kyte emphasised that while the US is the world's largest economy, it "cannot pull the handbrake on the energy transition for itself or for the rest of the world. They are a strategic partner and we will continue to engage with them."
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Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The specs: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
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