The business sector has not been seen as a true partner at climate conferences but Cop28 will seek to change that, Cop28 Special Representative for Business and Philanthropy has said.
Badr Jafar, a leading Emirati business executive, said business representatives can be treated like “people who are really unwanted” and that perspective needed to shift if the world was to tackle climate change.
Mr Jafar said both sectors could help smooth the disruptive “discontinuity” between annual climate summits.
“Cop28 is working to see how we can institutionalise, as part of the Cop process, business and philanthropy engagement to make sure we are moving from pledges, accords and announcements to impact and implementation,” said Mr Jafar, who will head the Cop28 business and philanthropy climate forum.
Speaking on the sidelines of the “Unveiling Cop28" event in Dubai on Wednesday, Mr Jafar also spoke about a “trust gap” in the global climate conversation, why financial entities such as the World Bank are not seen as representing the views of all, and why criticism of the UAE as hosts of the crucial talks was “cloaked in hypocrisy”.
First turning to climate finance, Mr Jafar said many previous pledges have been “completely forgotten”. Nations have still to commit to the $100 billion a year in annual climate finance but experts believe trillions of dollars are needed a year.
Enter business and philanthropy. The forum takes place on December 1 and 2 during the leaders summit and aims to “break down barriers between policy and business”, he said. About 500 business leaders are set to attend and the aim is for them to pledge to act in specific areas where they feel they can make a difference.
A collective announcement is also in the works. Details will not be announced until Cop28.
“We are trying to think of collective announcements that will be meaningful and measurable,” said Mr Jafar.
“How can we track the progress of that over Cops? Maybe we can look at a private sector stocktake.”
Criticism has been 'cloaked in a lot of hypocrisy'
Turning to what he described as a “trust gap” in the climate conversation, Mr Jafar said there were 600 million people without access to electricity in Africa.
“If one doesn’t understand and appreciate what some of those realities on the ground are, there is no way we will bring in as partners the vast majority of the world,” he said.
Mr Jafar, also the chief executive of Crescent Enterprises, said it was “not a secret” there had been a lot of criticism towards the UAE hosting Cop28. But a lot of that has been really “cloaked in a lot of hypocrisy”.
“One is the energy transition. There are some as part of this politicised rhetoric that are preaching to Africa, if you will, that they need to completely decarbonise their energy systems when their systems to a large extent haven’t even got going yet,” he said.
“This had become even more 'unpalatable' in the wake of the Ukraine war when you see many nations and their politicians scrambling and really visiting many other nations including in Africa, to try to figure out how to supplement energy imports.
“On one hand, [they are] asking them to produce more energy so they can supply to Europe and [are] happy to finance the production of those additional sources conditional to Europe but if this is local resources for local needs the finance suddenly dries up or is simply not affordable.”
Mr Jafar said Cop28 was pushing for financing mechanisms and institutions, such as the World Bank, to be affordable, accessible and acceptable.
“They have to be depoliticised. Because if you infuse politics into them, we know for a fact they are not going to represent most of the world,” Mr Jafar said.
“Is the World Bank seen as a bank that truly represents the world as in its name or not? If the answer is yes, then I don’t think you’d be seeing some of those challenges with who is going to be the custodian of this loss and damage fund,” he added, referring the deadlocked talks.
Mr Jafar said new entities were also needed as trillions of dollars in climate finance were required to safeguard the 1.5°C warming goal. The philanthropy element was crucial, he added.
“I often refer to it as the forgotten child of the capital system. But it is a lot of money. Today it is at least a trillion a year but probably more,” said Mr Jafar.
“So this myth that it is too small to make a difference is nonsense. It is far nimbler, far more risk tolerant, equitable and far more long term.”
Razan Al Mubarak, Cop28 UN High-Level Champion, who also spoke at the event, said extreme weather events this year had shown that the effects of climate change are real and disproportionally affecting the world’s poorest and those that contribute the least to greenhouse gas emissions.
“It is only fair that we act now to ensue climate change doesn’t consistently get worse,” she said.
The day-long event, co-hosted by Cop28 special representative for business and philanthropy and the Young Presidents Organisation, a global community of chief executives, also featured discussions on the built environment; energy transition; food systems and nature; and the role of technology with now just over 20 days to go before Cop28 starts.
“Cop is not a 12-day event but the beginning of a year-long process,” said Mr Jafar, adding that the Cop to Cop period also had to be considered.
“That journey has to be consistent.”
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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
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
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
