Taking action to address climate change is not just a choice; it is an absolute necessity.
As I write this, global temperatures continue breaking records. Climate change is already wreaking havoc with devastating storms, rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, scorching heat and floods. These changes are causing crop failures, ravaging farmland with droughts, and leading to food and water shortages.
The threat of climate change is no longer a theoretical concept, it is a matter of our existence. It is an immediate problem that will only worsen without decisive global action.
As the chief executive of a food security company, I have seen first-hand the destructive impact of climate change on agriculture and food availability in the developing world. Untold millions depend upon scarce food and water resources, where an unexpected disruption risks catastrophe.
Key to preventing disaster is building infrastructure and systems that add resiliency across the food supply chain.
The immediate and growing consequences of climate inaction are already costing families their homes and farmers their livelihoods
My company – and others – are focused on fixing this, and in the process, converting subsistence farming into sustainable farming, which not only lifts millions of small farmers out of poverty but also reduces the strain on water resources. Moreover, improving food security can prevent the further encroachment of agricultural land into vital rainforests and other natural environments. These “lungs” of the Earth serve as crucial carbon sinks and oxygen producers.
Food production doesn’t have to come at the expense of precious natural resources. Instead of relying on expanding agricultural land with substantial carbon footprints at the expense of the environment, there is a need to prioritise food security strategies in the developing world. These strategies focus on sustainable practices that preserve the environment, including forests under threat, while lifting millions out of poverty and preventing humanitarian disaster.
The immediate and growing consequences of climate inaction are already costing families their homes and farmers their livelihoods. Today's realities demand that the developed world invests in climate-positive solutions for water, food and power in countries of the Global South.
This year, the UAE will host Cop28, the annual UN-led climate summit aimed at reducing emissions and protecting people, lives and livelihoods everywhere from the effects of a warming planet. The UAE's hosting of this conference presents a crucial opportunity to unlock benefits for everyone.
And, now more than ever, the world requires strong leadership grounded in realistic approaches and practical experience. I have known this year's Cop President, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, for decades. He is a man who embraces significant challenges and has consistently shown leadership by introducing innovative solutions – an area where our organisations share common ground.
Dr Al Jaber, an engineer and pragmatist as chief executive of Adnoc, was the founding head of the renewable energy company Masdar and Masdar City in 2006, spearheading renewable energy initiatives in the UAE. His vision for Masdar was not only to be a model for the world to emulate but also to be realistic and achievable. He recognised the importance of sustainability, renewables and combating climate change long before they became popular concepts.
Dr Al Jaber is a staunch advocate for investing in food security, particularly in the developing world. This was evident when he sought the assistance of my company to establish the Food Sustainability Research and Development Centre at Masdar. Enhancing food security is a fundamental pillar in our battle against climate change.
Efforts to mitigate emissions and bolster adaptation, like resilient food systems, demands leaders who are realistic and experienced. I firmly believe that Dr Al Jaber is the right person to tackle the daunting task of rallying the world together to solve the climate crisis. The world requires leaders like Dr Al Jaber, who have the passion and skills to drive change, especially from the private sector, to develop and implement the solutions that this fight demands.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
The years Ramadan fell in May
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
More on Quran memorisation:
Company%20Profile
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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