When President Sheikh Mohamed spoke at the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt yesterday, the UAE's resolve was made clear: to accelerate the path of progress in key environmental sectors, and to stay in pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2050.
"Since we have only one planet, it is important to unify our efforts to tackle this challenge through climate work," Sheikh Mohamed said, emphasising the urgency with which countries must act. The UAE's efforts to develop renewable and clean energy to stimulate sustainable economic growth were spelt out. Importantly, Sheikh Mohamed drew attention to the effect that climate change is beginning to have on the world's security and stability.
Reports of food shortages, hunger, increasing droughts and militant groups taking advantage and unleashing terror in already-vulnerable regions are not in short supply. These issues contribute to instability in too many parts of the world, threatening lives and eating into resources.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was unflinching in his assessment of the climate reality. "We are in the fight of our lives," he said. "And we are losing".
By virtue of geography, Sheikh Mohamed said in his remarks, "the UAE's oil and gas are among the least carbon-intensive in the world. We will continue to reduce emissions in this vital sector".
In a world still grappling with the aftershocks of Covid-19, upheavals in the global economy and the war in Ukraine, these disparate yet intertwined factors pose a great threat to the world and make the challenge of tackling climate change even more arduous. The solutions, in short, are not easy to achieve. Climate finance, for instance, has been dominating talks since even before the summit in Egypt. And the question of climate reparations, or "loss and damage", as Mr Guterres said, "can no longer be swept under the rug".
On the positive side, regional leadership in climate has begun to emerge and many heads of state at the summit have pledged increased commitments to climate action as well as plans to reduce more carbon emissions. The UAE and Egypt entered into an agreement to build one of the world's largest wind farms, a 10-gigawatt onshore wind project in Egypt.
This year, the summit is especially focused on four areas of the climate crisis: mitigation, adaptation, finance and collaboration. None of these present a quick fix, especially as global budgets are still tight. But collaboration is a start and Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the UAE's complete willingness to co-operate with the international community.
In the national statements delivered by several of the heads of state in attendance, similar declarations were heard and they corresponded with the need of the hour – what Mr Guterres referred to at the opening of the summit as "the climate solidarity pact".
Across the world, adhering to the spirit of the Paris Agreement is going to remain a monumental task. There is, however, little other choice. As Mr Guterres said in his impassioned speech, only a narrow shaft of light remains.
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Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
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2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
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2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
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2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
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Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
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