The UN's climate change body said a decision on which nation will host Cop29 should be made at Cop28 in the UAE this year.
Cop29 is set to be staged by a country in eastern Europe, but reports have suggested the Ukraine war has complicated efforts to find a host.
The UNFCCC told The National, however, that there was “no formal deadline” for the host country to be agreed.
“In case there is no agreement in the Eastern Europe group, Cop29 would be held in Germany as the host country of the secretariat and would be presided by the UAE as the presidency of Cop28,” the UNFCCC said in the statement.
Reuters and the UK's Financial Times reported that the decision remains deadlocked due to Russia’s war in Ukraine with Reuters, for example, stating that Russia intended to block EU countries from hosting it due to tensions from the war.
This represents a setback for Bulgaria, which has expressed interest in hosting Cop29. Armenia and Azerbaijan have also signalled their interest but Baku’s seizure of the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh last month has escalated tensions between the two countries.
“It would be problematic if it is not agreed by the end of Cop28,” Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at the London School of Economics, told The National.
“Although competition is healthy, stand-offs are unhelpful, particularly as the aim of the United Nations climate change summits is to promote global co-operation on tackling climate change,” he said.
All countries in the 23-member Eastern Europe group must agree on a host. Another resolution would be for a different region and country to come forward such as when Spain stepped in for Chile in 2019 due to protests in the South American country.
“If the Eastern European group are unable to agree between themselves on a host, then the bureau of the negotiations, which oversees the process, should consider alternatives outside the region,” said Mr Ward.
Crucial role
A host tends to be agreed on well in advance to allow organisers to prepare for the summit which is typically attended by tens of thousands of people.
The host plays a crucial role as it guides the difficult negotiations involving competing nations and interests that can drift long into the night and often force the summit into extra time.
The host of Cop is rotated among regions with the Eastern Europe bloc taking its turn next year.
The UAE will stage Cop28 this year as part of the Asia-Pacific group, while Brazil is expected to host Cop30 in 2025 as part of the Latin American and Caribbean grouping.
“It is an important criterion for the legitimacy of the international negotiations that they should be hosted in different regions,” said Mr Ward.
“Obviously, the host needs to be able to offer suitable venues for the negotiations and ensure the safety of participants. However, the most critical criterion should be that the host country will provide strong leadership through the presidency to achieve an ambitious outcome from Cop29.”
Meanwhile, there are now less than two months to go before Cop28 starts.
The crucial talks run from November 30 to December 12 at Expo City Dubai where leaders will try to tackle the escalating climate emergency. Organisers said they expect up to 70,000 people to attend.
Cutting emissions, scaling up climate finance, keeping the 1.5°C goal alive, and bringing the loss and damage fund into operation are expected to dominate the negotiations.
“Let's leave our differences aside,” Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President-designate, told a climate conference in Dubai on Saturday. “The climate challenge is a threat and it must be addressed by everyone.
“We have decided that our comprehensive and holistic plan for Cop28 is to be centred around one thing, and that is the North Star,” said Dr Al Jaber, who is also the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. “What is our North Star at Cop28? It is keeping 1.5°C within reach.”
Cop27 at Sharm-El-Sheikh – in pictures
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The specs: Audi e-tron
Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)
Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Power: 408hp
Torque: 664Nm
Range: 400 kilometres
SECRET%20INVASION
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The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
