While Africa’s climate challenges have been in the spotlight in the run-up to Cop27 in Egypt, the summit’s UN high-level climate action champion says that it “doesn’t exclude the rest of the world”.
“It’s hosted in an African country, so inevitably you’ll be seeing African demands reflected and efforts to make the African voice heard more loudly, but it’s a Cop for the whole world,” Mahmoud Mohieldin told The National on the sidelines of the Egypt International Co-Operation Forum (ICF) in Cairo.
All of these matters are not just African. Especially for the vulnerable countries, for the small islands, for the areas suffering from severe weather
Mahmoud Mohieldin,
Cop27 representative
In his role as a catalyst for reaching climate targets, Mr Mohieldin said he will advocate for all disadvantaged parties, such as small island nations, and push to put hot topics like “loss and damage” on the table. Loss and damage refers to compensation for the devastating effects of climate change.
Cop27, the annual UN climate change summit, takes place in Sharm El Sheikh from November 6 to November 18.
Egypt has framed Cop27 as an “African Cop” and one that will move “from pledges to implementation”.
The three-day ICF, which opened on Wednesday 60 days before Cop27, has mainly highlighted Africa’s needs and ambitions in the areas of access to finance — finding investment for green technology, as well as national strategies to save the environment.
It includes a separate meeting of African ministers of finance, economy and environment, alongside global policymakers, development partners and banking officials.
On the first day of the forum, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and other high-profile speakers, such as US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, urged the top carbon-emitting countries to do more to support African nations in their efforts to adjust to climate change.
Gfanz Africa
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (Gfanz) chairman Mark Carney unveiled the alliance’s Africa Network, whose advisory board will be chaired by Mr Mohieldin.
Mr Carney, who is also UN special envoy on climate action and finance, and the Cop26 presidency launched Gfanz in April 2021.
Gfanz is a global coalition of financial institutions working to accelerate the world’s transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Its members include 500 companies, such as HSBC, Citi, Bank of America, Standard Chartered, Allianz, Axa and BlackRock, representing more than $130 trillion in assets under management.
The Africa Network seeks to “unlock investment and support engagement with African financial institutions to ensure Gfanz work on net zero is inclusive and applicable to all”, the alliance said in a statement.
Only 2 per cent of global investments in renewable energy in the past two decades have been made in Africa, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).
The Gfanz Africa Network follows the June launch of its Asia-Pacific Network and a Latin America Network will soon follow.
Establishing regional networks helps push fulfilments of the Paris Agreement, while taking into account the unique circumstances of developing countries, Mr Mohieldin said.
“Africa is suffering from poverty, unemployment and lack of chances for investment,” he said.
“The job of the advisory board is to make sure that the promises, the commitments and what we are hoping for in terms of impact will be very much on track.”
Mr Mohieldin comes with more than 30 years of experience in international finance and development under his belt.
He is an executive director of the International Monetary Fund and has been the UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda since February 2020. He has also held several roles at the World Bank and served as Egypt’s Minister of Investment from 2004 to 2010.
Mohamed Saleh, chair of the Egyptian Financial Regulatory Authority, will serve as vice chair of the Africa Network, and additional experts in climate and finance will join over the course of the year.
The network’s central office will be in Nairobi, Kenya, at the UN Environment Programme’s headquarters.
“This work is very much to support the function that I’m doing as a climate champion,” Mr Mohieldin said.
Loss and damage
At the same time, he said he will be highlighting the climate risk mitigation agenda, finance-related issues and loss and damage.
“All of these matters are not just African,” he said. “Especially for the vulnerable countries, for the small islands, for the areas suffering from severe weather and coastal conditions, [loss and damage] is a very big issue of concern to them.”
More than 400 organisations from all over the world signed a letter this week, initiated by the Climate Action Network, addressed to UN climate change heads of delegations calling on them to ensure that loss and damage finance is on the formal agenda for Cop27.
The letter comes as negotiators are scheduled to meet for informal consultations on loss and damage in Cairo on Saturday.
“In Bonn and Copenhagen [climate talks] it was raised, but the final say is for the negotiators,” Mr Mohieldin said.
“Our role [as climate champions] is to implement and be catalysts, but we are implementing what the negotiators are agreeing on.”
There are “many attempts to keep it alive”, despite a “pushback by certain countries”, he said.
“I know the reasons behind it and the concerns behind it. But to be fair is to be fair. We cannot just ignore it.”
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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
Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Arsenal's pre-season fixtures
Thursday Beat Sydney 2-0 in Sydney
Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney
Wednesday v Bayern Munich in Shanghai
July 22 v Chelsea in Beijing
July 29 v Benfica in London
July 30 v Sevilla in London
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
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Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
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Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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