We must show solidarity with the Global South, UNEP chief says

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Cop28

As Cop28 enters its final days, Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, is among the officials calling for more concerted efforts to protect the environment.

She also stressed the “really positive” work done by the UAE's Presidency of Cop28 so far.

Speaking to The National during her participation in Cop28, Ms Andersen lauded the efforts of the Presidency in getting the global summit off to a strong start with the capitalisation of the loss and damage fund on the first day.

“It is massive, it's absolutely massive, and we have to say 'chapeau' to our UAE hosts here”, she said, adding the feat was “not easy… and usually these things would come at the last day or 2am. This was a major win”.

She said the “first win was the agenda got agreed so fast” and then loss and damage received funding.

"This was really smart from a strategic point of view that the Presidency saw that they could get this win and lift the spirits a little bit. So that was really good," Ms Andersen said.

With more than $725 million committed to the loss and damage fund, and that amount continuing to grow during Cop28, she said it was "really positive and bought a lot of trust”.

However, the work is not yet complete and in Ms Andersen’s assessment “the big issue on the table is, of course, will we agree or will we not to phase out fossil fuels? And that's still very much in discussion”.

The success of Cop28 will rely in large part on the agreement to reduce emissions, which includes tackling the energy transition, in addition to ensuring the protection of nature.

"We understand that without nature we cannot make it, especially the high forest, the tropical forests, the Borneo Mekong Basin, Indonesia plus the Congo Basin, the Amazon Basin – these are critical, they are the lungs of the world," Ms Andersen said.

"Forests alone will not do the trick, we must decarbonise our economies … right now we are going in the wrong direction."

According to UNEP, the world is heading to 2.9°C increase in temperatures by 2100. But based on non-conditional commitments for countries to take climate action, known as NDCs, if there is the right financing, then the figure drops to 2.5°C by 2100.

"That is still not a place we want to be at, therefore we need to see decarbonisation happen much speedier," Ms Andersen added.

"That means finance on the table for that energy shifts, it means that the G20 – the largest 20 producers and emitters, which are the key to the land, which are responsible for 75 per cent of all emissions – they have to lead.

"But everyone, all producers, all coal producers, all gas producers, we need to lead on this matter."

One matter that Ms Andersen said was vital was the capturing highly potent, but short-lived climate polluting gases.

"That is where methane comes in, that is where fluorinated gases that we use for cooling come in. And that is where nitrous oxides, the gases that are released from fertiliser making and so on, come in," she said.

She stressed the importance of limiting methane emissions and gas flaring, two matters that the Cop28 Presidency has been advocating.

“The focus is on avoiding and eliminating, flaring, venting and leakage from oil, gas and coal infrastructure, and honestly, tightening a few screws," she added.

"If we do that, it buys us time that we stop flaring, we capture that wealth instead and sell it and we stop venting and leakages. And we then reduce that dimension … methane is more than 100 times more potent a gas than CO2, one tonne of CO2 to one tonne of methane is 100-fold more the same perfluorinated gases. And the same for nitrous oxide.

"That's why the methane story here is very big. We run the international methane emissions observatory and we've just launched the methane alert reduction system ... telling you that your methane emissions are way high on your particular infrastructure."

At the Cop28 Global Methane Pledge Ministerial, countries pledged to cut methane at least 30 percent by 2030, a target the UAE presidency had championed.

UNEP also hosts the Climate and Clean Air Coalition “because when we take methane and nitrous oxides, and fluorinated gases out of the system, it's also good for us”.

"These kinds of opportunities are real. It will buy us a little period of time, while we do the real hard work of decarbonising our economies," she said.

While Ms Andersen is appealing to all countries to act, she says there are developing countries for which “it's a difficult thing to leave [fossil fuels] in the ground, unless there's finance that can have an able and just transition getting that country out of energy poverty. I say that because we have to have solidarity towards the Global South”.

She used South Sudan as an example. “It's a country that has 7.9 per cent access to modern electricity and it is a country that is an oil producer. So the world has to ask itself, what is the world going to do for that country?”

Ms Andersen has called for solidarity in understanding the needs of developing countries, in addition to “the real opportunity” of technological advancements in renewable energy.

She also referenced the fact some countries, such as Kenya, can produce clean and green energy, which can help to decarbonise industry.

“Many African countries are saying we would like to produce excess [clean energy], because OECD countries cannot decarbonise without African help," she said.

"They say, 'You should move your industries and your jobs to our countries where we have renewable energy, you are all relying on coal and oil and gas, move it to these countries in the Global South, where we can rely either on green nitrogen, or we can rely on renewable directly, so that you can produce clean and green and at the same time produce jobs.'"

She stressed “it is a very interesting proposition and something the world should really look at”.

With the opportunities being presented with technologies and renewable energy “the early bird really will get the worm here”.

"That's why we're really encouraging countries to lean in on renewables, on the technologies that do exist," she added.

"And we are encouraging those that can make more R&D to do so. The price has already dropped a lot and it's very competitive”.

She added with optimism “there's some real good news here”.

In her role at UNEP, Ms Andersen is Undersecretary General of the UN and plays an instrumental role in working on the processes that allow for climate actions across countries.

In 2022, the UN asserted it was a human right to live in "a safe, clean and sustainable environment”. Ms Andersen said this right was "now beginning to emerge into courts where it's been quoted by judgments or, indeed, into where new constitutions are being framed”.

The UNEP has an environmental law division that provides technical support for countries as this issue grows in significance.

While Ms Andersen stressed the rights and voice of all people, she spoke of the importance of the inclusivity of Cop28.

“Indigenous people are taking care of 80 per cent of the world's biodiversity ... so we need to make sure we hear their voices, and that there's prior and informed consent to anything that might happen in their territories," she said.

She added it was important to hear from other belief systems, indigenous people and “some powerful belief systems there that actually find its way into nearly every religion, irrespective of where it comes from”.

"This understanding that the duty to care for the planet is enshrined in most holy books and is something that I think everyone understands," she added.

The Faith Pavilion at Cop28 “is another powerful example of the world's faiths coming together and speaking of taking care of the planet. And every living being on it”.

Ms Andersen said she was “ever the optimist” and expected action at Cop28.

“In Paris, we were heading towards a 5°C to 6°C world. Today, we are heading towards 2.9°C. Well, neither is good enough. But we're making progress," she added.

“Our children deserve it and we cannot not do this. The Secretary General [Antonio Guterres] has made it very clear. We are facing an existential crisis. And we have to decarbonise and we have to do it now”.

SPLASH BULLETS

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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

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The National Editorial: Iran's 'failed model' should be discontinued

BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20and%20Alex%20Pastor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGeorgina%20Campbell%2C%20Mario%20Casas%2C%20Diego%20Calva%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.

Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.

“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”

Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”

Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.

At Eternity’s Gate

Director: Julian Schnabel

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen

Three stars

Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

The%20specs

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The%20specs

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China warns US pushing relations to 'brink of new Cold War'

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MATCH INFO

Europa League final

Marseille 0

Atletico Madrid 3
Greizmann (21', 49'), Gabi (89')

Traces%20of%20Enayat

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Iman%20Mersal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20And%20Other%20Stories%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

THREE

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Company%20Profile

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

FIXTURES (all times UAE)

Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)

Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)

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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.

US PGA Championship in numbers

1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

Frida%20

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Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

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Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km

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SQUADS

UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan

Nepal
Paras Khadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pradeep Airee, Binod Bhandari, Avinash Bohara, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Pawan Sarraf, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh

How our nine-month-old has made the Canadian winter a little bit warmer for us

Canadians rallying around a targeted Syrian restaurant is telling about attitudes to migrants

Don Cherry and the real issue with being one of 'you people'

COMPANY%20PROFILE

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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms

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Company%20profile

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While you're here

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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

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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

if you go

The flights

Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.

The hotels

The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).

PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)