The climate crisis rages on unabated, and its consequences continue to imperil millions of lives and livelihoods. Southern Africa is currently facing its worst food crisis in decades due to severe drought. Further north, the Sahara experienced rare flooding for the first time in decades. According to the World Food Programme, a staggering 21 million people are now malnourished due to impacts of climate change on food production.
In cities like Errachidia, in southeast Morocco, nearly three inches of rain fell over just two days in September – more than four times the normal rainfall for the entire month and over half a year’s worth for the area. Earlier this year, Hurricane Beryl tore through parts of the Caribbean, causing widespread devastation and loss of life.
We know the steps required to alter this path – from investing in renewable energy and reducing emissions to limiting global temperature rise below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
By closing the gap between pledges and actual action, we can protect vulnerable communities from the worst effects of the climate crisis
In the meantime, we must build resilience within communities facing the harshest impacts of the crisis. But addressing this challenge is neither cheap nor easy; it demands significant financial commitment and resources, especially for vulnerable communities in developing countries.
Despite this situation, global climate finance remains chronically inadequate. According to the UN Environmental Programme’s Adaptation Gap Report 2024, international public adaptation finance flows to developing countries increased only marginally from 2021 to 2022, rising from $22 billion to $28 billion – an improvement, to be sure, but only a fraction of the $187–359 billion needed annually. This shortfall not only allows the problem to persist but results in higher post-disaster recovery costs.
These facts are not new. Countries have long agreed on the need for additional climate financing to support climate action, particularly in developing countries.
It was at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Cop15), in 2009, that developed nations pledged to mobilise $100 billion annually by 2020 to support climate action in developing countries.
This commitment, formalised in the Cancun Agreements at Cop16 in 2010 and reaffirmed in the Paris Agreement in 2015, aimed to help these nations mitigate emissions and adapt to worsening climate impacts. However, this target was only met in 2022 – two years behind schedule and only after a decade of protracted negotiations and delays. The scale of need is now greater than the initial goal, with the gap between pledged funds and actual requirements growing continuously.
I have just returned from Cop29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, where world leaders are aiming to close the climate finance gap and accelerate global climate action. Dubbed “the finance Cop,” Cop29 must be laser-focused on securing the necessary resources to expand adaptation and mitigation efforts, enabling vulnerable nations to build resilience and transition to sustainable energy. Achieving this goal requires ensuring that countries have access to the resources they need to adapt and build resilience – efforts that are estimated to cost up to $300 billion each year until 2030.
Success also involves funding a just, equitable transition to clean, low-carbon energy, which will demand $4 trillion annually in renewable energy investments until 2030. While there has been progress in climate finance, including commitments to the Green Climate Fund and the launch of the Loss and Damage Fund at Cop28, these initiatives barely meet the scale of need.
As long as this chronic shortfall persists, progress will continue to stall. Communities on the frontlines will continue to pay the highest price – particularly those in least-developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states, which lack the resources to adapt to escalating climate volatility. Without adequate support, their fundamental rights and dignity are jeopardised.
Predictable and additional climate financing is essential for adaptation, from constructing flood defences to advancing drought-resistant agriculture. These measures strengthen community resilience and enhance recovery capacity.
Beyond adaptation, financing must enable developing nations to implement comprehensive climate action plans, tackle both immediate and long-term challenges, and invest in green technologies and sustainable practices that align economic growth with environmental preservation. As the climate crisis intensifies, the demand for these initiatives and resources will only continue to grow, affecting communities, ecosystems and economies globally.
The global community must fulfil its financial commitments in line with the urgency and scale of the crisis. Adequate, predictable and equitably mobilised climate financing can drive sustainable development and empower nations to build resilience.
I urge world leaders at Cop29 to move beyond rhetoric and make tangible progress on climate finance. By closing the gap between pledges and actual action, we can protect vulnerable communities from the worst effects of the climate crisis and ensure a future grounded in human dignity and sustainability.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
PSL FINAL
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Kill%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
