Every country needs to step up for the world to win the climate change battle, US climate envoy John Kerry said.
Speaking at the 13th Irena Assembly in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Mr Kerry said 2023 needs to be the “year of reality” and that “we are moving too slowly” to meet key environmental goals.
More than 190 countries are part of the legally binding Paris Agreement, a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting the Earth's warming to 1.5°C.
“There's nothing in the current activities of countries all around the world that indicates that we are prepared to do what we need to do in order to meet the 1.5°C (goal),” said Mr Kerry during a panel session titled ‘World Energy Transition – The Global Stocktake’.
“The United States is now about 10 per cent of emissions – down from 15 per cent and heading down.
“And I have to tell you – even if we went to zero, even if China went to zero, we don't solve the problem, every country has to step up.”
Mr Kerry said that countries were missing the opportunity of buying into the renewable energy transition, despite it being “potentially the most exciting economic transformation”.
Private sector support is required
He said that trillions of dollars were still needed in the battle against climate change and that the private sector could lead global efforts.
“No government in the world has enough money to do what we need to do,” he said.
“We're talking about trillions. Who has the trillions? The private sector has the trillions.
“So, what we need to be doing globally is exciting that private sector money to begin to move to bankable deals, which bring development to parts of the world that have been left out.
“But also enlist everybody in the effort to be able to make the transition to the kind of a world and economy that we need.”
Siaosi Sovaleni, prime minister of Tonga, said they were increasingly partnering with private companies to reach their national targets.
The country is trying to achieve 70 per cent renewable energy generation by 2025.
Its previous goal was to achieve the figure by 2030, but it renewed its targets after the soaring energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, we experienced very high fossil fuel prices.
“And in such electricity, food and shipping freight prices went up.
“So, basically, we want to get away from that, so we renewed some of our targets.
“In the Pacific, we've been known to be frustrated with the lack of access to financing from proper facilities.
“So, the other alternative is working with private sector on bankable projects, and that's what's happening.
“And that's why it has allowed us to have this very ambitious target for renewable energy.”
The progress countries are making under the Paris Agreement started getting assessed at the UN Climate Change Conference (Cop26) in 2021.
And the assessment will conclude at Cop28 in Dubai this year.
Cop28 head says event will be 'milestone moment'
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, president-designate of Cop28, gave one of the opening speeches during the first day of the assembly.
“Cop28 will be a milestone moment, as the world conducts the first global stocktake to assess progress against the goals of the Paris Agreement,” said Dr Al Jaber, who is also minister of industry and advanced technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc.
“We don't need to wait until the global stocktake to know just how much work there is ahead of us.
“As we seek to close the gap between ambition and reality, no sector offers as much potential as renewable energy.”
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SUZUME
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Makoto%20Shinkai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Nanoka%20Hara%2C%20Hokuto%20Matsumura%2C%20Eri%20Fukatsu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicola%20Coughlan%2C%20Luke%20Newton%2C%20Jonathan%20Bailey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Result
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Brraq, Ryan Curatolo (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m; Winner: Bright Melody, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Naval Crown, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m; Winner: Volcanic Sky, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Zainhom, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
