Tackling climate change necessitated a faster response, despite the world’s current preoccupation with Russia and Ukraine, US climate envoy John Kerry said on Monday.
“This (climate change) is an issue beyond politics, beyond ideology, this is an issue that affects the whole world at large,” Mr Kerry said during a speech at the American University in Cairo to start Egypt’s preparations for hosting the next edition of the UN Climate Change Conference.
Cop27 will be held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh in November.
Mr Kerry said educating the youth, mobilising the private sector and ensuring a steady flow of finances were vital parts of the fight against climate change.
Mr Kerry’s speech at AUC followed his meetings with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry earlier in the day. It was also attended by the country’s international co-operation minister Rania Al Mashat and former secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa.
The US diplomat praised the university’s ongoing efforts to encourage more of its students to shift their focus to fields related to climate change, which, according to him, were becoming more and more lucrative as scientists, thinkers and businessmen all over the world continued to innovate new solutions to mitigate it.
Mr Kerry, who served as secretary of state in the Obama administration, also lauded AUC’s position as the first educational institution in the region to begin measuring and documenting its country’s carbon footprint.
He also stressed the importance of mobilising the private sector worldwide and ensuring that it continues developing its future business strategies with climate change as a focal point.
Finances are also going to play a central role in implementing the mitigation strategies which came out of Cop26, held in Glasgow last year, said Mr Kerry, highlighting a long list of international companies in various fields which have begun producing greener products and services without reducing their profits.
He underscored the importance of getting countries to implement the environmental pledges that came out of Cop26, highlighting the need to ensure a steady flow of capital from developed countries to help less developed countries in their efforts to combat climate change.
A joint US-Egypt statement following Mr Kerry’s meeting with Mr El Sisi highlighted the importance of intensifying global efforts to mitigate all aspects of the climate change agenda.
The statement highlighted the need to keep the temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius, and to then step up efforts to bring it lower than 1.5 degrees.
Mr Kerry’s visit also marked the launch of the US-Egypt Climate Working Group, a bilateral task force which will focus on ensuring Cop27 is a success.
Through Mr Kerry, the Biden administration expressed its confidence in Egypt as the incoming president of Cop27.
Without taking names, he said it was important that some countries joined the ongoing efforts against climate change and pledged themselves to the Cop26 commitments.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
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