There was “clear momentum” in crucial climate talks that took place in Abu Dhabi on Monday, a senior Cop28 official has said.
Majid Al Suwaidi, Cop28 director general, said he was “heartened” to “see and feel the enthusiasm and positivity” across the negotiating rooms on the first day of pre-Cop.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Al Suwaidi said talks encompassed mitigation and adaptation, with ministers for the first time discussing “equity in the context of climate action”, which is vital to ensuring a just climate transition.
“Today’s discussions clearly underscored that ambitious climate action must run hand in hand with the achievement of broader sustainable development objectives,” said Mr Al Suwaidi.
There is clear momentum focused towards positive outcomes
Majid Al Suwaidi,
Cop28 director general
“A wide variety of views are represented. And there is clear momentum focused towards positive outcomes.”
More than 70 ministers are in the capital for the two-day pre-Cop meetings, which organisers said was the largest such gathering to date.
It aims to iron out differences ahead of the crucial summit that begins in Dubai on November 30.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Cop28 President-designate, opened the event by calling for unity in an often divided world and spoke of “strong views about the idea of including language on fossil fuels and renewables” in the negotiated text that is typically published at the end of the summit.
Referring to the fossil fuel issues, Mr Al Suwaidi said it was an area that had been “debated for a long time and of course there are many differing views”.
“We hope that through the conversations here in pre-Cop that parties can come together,” said Mr Al Suwaidi.
“Let’s not forget our role as the presidency is to bring the parties together and we are giving you the space to have the conversations and discuss the landing zones. We know we need to deliver on the energy outcome.”
The first day of the preparatory talks also saw youth climate champion Shamma Al Mazrui convene young people attending the event to discuss their ambitions.
The discussions aim to raise awareness about the “global youth statement” which has gathered nearly 750,000 submissions from 150 countries and aims to be the “central document” for youth advocacy at Cop28, feeding directly into climate negotiations.
Those in attendance also discussed climate and health.
Cop28 will be the first to discuss health issues in depth and Mr Al Suwaidi said the presidency would push for a political declaration to reflect countries' priorities on the issue.
Tuesday's discussions are expected to feature the global stocktake, which assesses how countries are measuring up to the 2015 Paris deal, and the hot-button issue of loss and damage.
A key meeting to help resolve differences over loss and damage will take place in the UAE at the end of the week.
The fund aims to help countries deal with the damage from climate change and was agreed to at Cop27, but key questions, such as who should fund it, who should receive financing and who would administer it, have yet to be agreed on. Since Cop27, several rounds of meetings have aimed to chart a path forward.
“It is 100 per cent deliverable,” Mr Al Suwaidi told reporters. “It was mandated to deliver it. We are laser-focused on delivering that as part of the overall package of outcomes.”
The International Renewable Energy Agency and the Cop28 presidency also on Monday called for the tripling of renewable power capacity and the doubling of energy efficiency by 2030 to reach the goals of the Paris deal.
Global renewable power capacity will need to reach more than 11,000 gigawatts, with solar and wind accounting for about 90 per cent of the growth, they said in a report.
“The world has already made great strides by expanding global renewable energy capacity and becoming more energy efficient but progress, so far, has been too slow,” said Dr Al Jaber.
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Japan
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Canada
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')
Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')
Brief scores
Barcelona 2
Pique 36', Alena 87'
Villarreal 0
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
