'Clear momentum' in key Abu Dhabi climate talks, says Cop28 director general


John Dennehy
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  • Arabic

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.

In%20the%20Land%20of%20Saints%20and%20Sinners
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 390bhp

Torque: 400Nm

Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579

THE BIO

Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.

Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.

She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.

Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring  the natural world.

How it works

A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank

Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night 

The charge is stored inside a battery

The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode

A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes 

This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode

When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again

The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge

No limit on how many times you can charge

 

Company%20profile
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

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Summer special
Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

Results
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Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

Details

Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny

Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books

Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site

The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.

THE BIO

Favourite author - Paulo Coelho 

Favourite holiday destination - Cuba 

New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field

Role model - My Grandfather 

Dream interviewee - Che Guevara

CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran. 

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf. 

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said. 

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer. 

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy. 

 

Updated: October 31, 2023, 5:03 AM`