World leaders must honour their pledge to help vulnerable countries pay for climate damage, Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Foreign Minister and president of Cop27, has said.
Mr Shoukry said negotiations on the landmark Loss and Damage Fund, agreed in Sharm El Sheikh last year, were hard-fought.
Decision-makers had a collective responsibility to follow through when the matter returns to the negotiating table at Cop28 in Dubai in November, he said.
The fund would involve several wealthy nations sending billions in aid to poorer countries who disproportionately suffer the impact of climate change.
Developing countries who have contributed the least cannot control the burden without providing them the tools to do so
Sameh Shoukry,
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cop27 president
How the fund is managed and financed is yet to be hammered out and will be back on the agenda at Dubai Expo City in November.
“We are proud to have been able to deliver on a long waited — a 40 years in the making — loss and damage fund,” said Mr Shoukry at a panel discussion for Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
“And we look forward to the finalisation of the structure, the governance and the architecture of the fund.
“Hopefully, that it will be endorsed, but more importantly, that it will be financed at Cop28.”
Many low-income countries that contribute the least to climate change have faced its devastating effects.
Pakistan, for example, emits less than 1 per cent of global emissions, but is one of the worst hit countries by climate change, according to the UN.
Last year, the country suffered damage valued at $30 billion from severe flooding that was closely linked to climate change. The African continent also contributes the least to climate change yet is the most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, the G20 group of the most developed nations represent around 75 per cent of global greenhouse emissions.
“Ambition and mitigation has to be coupled with delivery and in terms of finance,” said Mr Shoukry.
“Developing countries who have contributed the least cannot control the burden without providing them the tools to do so in terms of finance or obligations, whether at the governmental, private sector or financial institutions.”
US climate envoy John Kerry told The National in an interview on Sunday that the US would not accept an “imposed standard of liability” to help vulnerable countries overcome the effects of climate change.
The former secretary of state said the US could be relied upon for climate-related disaster relief — but “that's different from paying for a loss that hasn't been purely defined”.
“The United States will not accept … some imposed standard of liability,” said Mr Kerry, who was in Abu Dhabi for events under Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Simon Stiell, executive secretary at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was also speaking at the panel on Monday.
He said that Cop28 offers an opportunity to “course correct”, so that countries can meet its climate goals.
A stocktake of the Paris Agreement, an assessment of the progress the world has made in limiting the warming of the planet to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, would be presented at the conference.
“We have two challenges in the lead-up to Cop28 — one is defining and making sure that we design this stocktake as impactfully as it needs to be and the Secretariat has an important role in doing it,” said Mr Stiell.
“But it has to be absorbed by parties and responded to by parties who are non (state) and state actors.
“The other element is once this is presented in a practical form, it is for us to shift our mindsets.
“This could be the last opportunity that we have to interfere with the process in order to get us on the path that we need to get to.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
