Scientists say that extreme weather and heatwaves will intensify if the world fails to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. AFP
Scientists say that extreme weather and heatwaves will intensify if the world fails to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. AFP
Scientists say that extreme weather and heatwaves will intensify if the world fails to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. AFP
Scientists say that extreme weather and heatwaves will intensify if the world fails to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. AFP

Key UN report says world is not on track in climate battle


Tim Stickings
  • English
  • Arabic

The world is “not on track” to slow global warming to 1.5°C, leaders have been told in a landmark progress report that will shape the Cop28 climate summit in the UAE.

Governments will decide in a first “global stocktake” in Dubai what to make of a verdict that “much more action”, projected to cost trillions of dollars, is needed to limit damage to the planet.

The UN on Friday unveiled a 47-page technical report underpinning the stocktake, based on more than a year of talks with countries who will attend Cop28.

Overseen by scientists Farhan Akhtar of the US and Harald Winkler of South Africa, the report paves the way for the stocktake’s keenly awaited “political phase” in Dubai.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the summit’s President-designate and UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, called on leaders to “come to Cop28 with real and actionable commitments to address climate change”.

“This global stocktake report provides clear direction on how we can meet the expectations of the Paris Agreement by taking decisive action in this critical decade,” he said.

He added that countries should show “ambition and urgency” to cut greenhouse gas emissions 43 per cent by 2030. The energy transition is one of his four pillars for the summit along with finance, livelihood and inclusivity.

“I believe we can deliver all of this while creating sustainable economic growth for our people, but we must urgently disrupt business as usual and unite like never before to move from ambition to action and from rhetoric to real results,” he said.

The report says the Paris Agreement, which established the 1.5°C goal and set the date of the first stocktake for 2023, has “driven near-universal climate action” since its adoption eight years ago.

However, progress is “still inadequate based on the best available science” and “the window to keep limiting warming to 1.5°C within reach is closing rapidly”, it says.

“The global community is not on track to meet the long-term goals set out in the Paris Agreement, despite the collective progress made,” governments are told in the report.

“As this report shows, much more action is needed now, on all fronts and by all actors, if the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement are to be met.”

The UAE’s Cop28 presidency has told diplomats that the stocktake “will frame all of our work” at the summit, which opens at Dubai’s Expo City on November 30.

The Cop28 summit begins at Expo City Dubai on November 30. Ruel Pableo for The National
The Cop28 summit begins at Expo City Dubai on November 30. Ruel Pableo for The National

Clean energy 'indispensable'

In other assessments, the report says:

· Scaling up renewable energy and phasing out all unabated fossil fuels are “indispensable elements” of cutting emissions to net zero

· Halting deforestation and improving agricultural practices are also “critical to reducing emissions”

· The timing of reaching net zero “will vary by country” but the whole world should pursue green policies that can also help achieve development goals

· More efforts are “urgently needed” to prepare for climate effects that are already “eroding past human development gains”

· It is “essential to unlock and redeploy trillions of dollars” to invest in climate action, with developing countries needing a rapid injection of funds

· Funding to meet the cost of climate disasters (“loss and damage” in UN jargon) should be “rapidly scaled up” and come from “expanded and innovative sources”.

The UN's climate chief Simon Stiell urged governments to “carefully study the findings of the report”.

“The global stocktake is a critical moment for greater ambition and accelerating action,” he said.

Talks at Cop28 will be structured around key themes after a two-day summit of world leaders. Photo: Cop28
Talks at Cop28 will be structured around key themes after a two-day summit of world leaders. Photo: Cop28

The 1.5°C goal refers to the rise in average global temperatures compared with pre-industrial times. Scientists say that outcomes such as extreme weather and natural disasters will be considerably greater if the world misses its target.

Each country is responsible for setting its own policies to contribute to the Paris Agreement’s goals, so the stocktake was set up as a way to review overall progress.

While there is general consensus that more action is needed, countries often spar over issues such as targets on abandoning fossil fuels and asking rich countries to contribute more financial firepower.

Report sets agenda for Cop28

Gareth Redmond-King, an analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit in Britain, said the report “represents the most comprehensive and detailed evidence yet” that the world is off track in terms of the 1.5°C target.

“We need only look around us in this hottest northern hemisphere summer, plagued with fires and floods, to see the human and financial cost of climate change,” he said.

“All the evidence shows acting now is cheaper than not, and this report very clearly sets the agenda for the Cop28 presidency, and the task for leaders who will meet in Dubai in December to agree how to close this dangerous gap.”

Countries will use Cop28 to deliver a “political outcome” of the stocktake. There is then a 2025 deadline for governments to hand in updated climate plans, taking the stocktake into account.

Future global stocktakes are due at five-yearly intervals.

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km

Price: from Dh94,900

On sale: now

While you're here
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE BOX

Company name: Overwrite.ai

Founder: Ayman Alashkar

Started: Established in 2020

Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai

Sector: PropTech

Initial investment: Self-funded by founder

Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors

UAE gold medallists:

Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The biog

Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician

Hometown: Ghazala, Syria

Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978

Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter

Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi

Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.

Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo

Favourite food: fresh fish

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Name: Brendalle Belaza

From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines

Arrived in the UAE: 2007

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus

Favourite photography style: Street photography

Favourite book: Harry Potter

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed

Based: Muscat

Launch year: 2018

Number of employees: 40

Sector: Online food delivery

Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception 

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

Updated: September 08, 2023, 3:13 PM`