A key meeting to resolve differences over a fund to help countries deal with damage from climate change will take place in the UAE next month, weeks before Cop28 gets under way.
It follows a round of talks in Egypt that concluded early on Saturday with countries deadlocked over how to advance the “loss and damage” mechanism.
The fund was agreed on at Cop27 in Egypt last year and aims to help countries – particularly less developed ones – deal with the damage from climate change, such as wildfires, floods, rising seas and other extreme events.
But key questions such as who should fund it, who should receive the finance and who would administer it have yet to be agreed on and, since Cop27, rounds of meetings have been trying to chart a path forward.
Now it has been agreed, according to the Cop28 presidency, that another round of talks will take place in Abu Dhabi from November 3 to 5. It will follow the October 30 and 31 pre-Cop28 preparatory meetings to iron out differences ahead of the crucial summit.
Time to deliver
“The eyes of the world are on you to deliver clear, clean and strong recommendations ahead of Cop28 to operationalise the loss and damage fund and funding arrangements,” Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President-designate, and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology said in a statement released on Saturday, regarding the decision to stage another round of talks in the UAE.
Experts believe the talks over loss and damage show the scale of the task ahead during the key climate talks that start on November 30.
“It is not unexpected and entirely predictable,” said Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at the London School of Economics, regarding the decision to stage another round of loss and damage talks.
“And it highlights the fact that on many issues, developed and developing countries come from different perspectives.”
Mr Ward said loss and damage is seen by developed countries and small island states – who often also tend to be the lowest emitters – as crucial but the discussion has historically been mired in controversy.
“It started as a conversation about compensation from rich to poor,” he said. “But wealthier countries, particularly the US, refused to accept that premise.”
At Cop27 the discussion moved on and it was agreed to create a new fund to help deal with the damage that cannot be avoided by adaptation in a decision that was seen as one of the few wins from the summit.
“The EU and US want the fund to be administered by the World Bank,” said Mr Ward. “Now many less developed countries are against that as their experience of the bank, they say, is as an instrument of the policy of wealthier countries. There are also separate issues of financial pledges to the fund and it is not clear how much money it will receive.”
Mr Ward said there was logic to having an existing entity oversee it as it can be time-consuming to establish something new. “In my view the Green Climate Fund could expand to cover loss and damage,” said Mr Ward, referring to the fund that is administered by the UNFCCC – the UN’s climate change entity – that also deals with climate adaptation and mitigation.
Cop28 runs from November 30 to December 12 at Expo City Dubai and Mr Ward warned of a danger that if too many areas of discussion are delayed until the summit, it can have knock-on effects for other key points. But it was important to recognise climate talks go on throughout the year.
“The idea behind these rounds of talks are to set up a final deal at Cop28,” he said. “But important negotiations go throughout the year.”
Cop27 in Sharm El Sheikh - in pictures
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Winner: Miqyaas, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
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Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Shanty Star, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Alkaamel, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Speedy Move, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Quartier Francois, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Contracted list
Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
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Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
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.
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Company%20profile
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Racecard
2pm Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m
2.30pm Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m
3pm Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
3.30pm Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m
4pm Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.30pm Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m
5pm Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
5.30pm Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m
The National selections:
2pm Arch Gold
2.30pm Conclusion
3pm Al Battar
3.30pm Golden Jaguar
4pm Al Motayar
4.30pm Tapi Sioux
5pm Leadership
5.30pm Dahawi
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