For the next two years, the Arab world will bear the climate change torch with Cop27 and Cop28 hosted in Egypt and the Emirates, respectively. Each of the two countries will preside over international climate change efforts for the 12 months following their respective conferences. In agreeing to host these events, both have shown an unwavering commitment to multilateralism and the global common good, as well as the courage, confidence and conviction with which challenges must be met even in the most difficult times.
The past few months’ focus has been on the tragic and very dangerous events in the Ukraine. They threaten to shake the world order at its seams, and have driven the powers that be to openly threaten the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Cop27, from November 6 to 18, will bear witness to the international community attempting to tackle an existential climate change threat that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has described as one that has placed our community at the very precipice of oblivion.
The volatile, acutely polarised political landscape and the immense economic challenges caused by the Ukraine war are not conducive to a strategic environment for decision-making in the best interests of the global community. We do not, however, have the luxury of procrastination with respect to immediately addressing the dangerously increasing consequences of climate degradation. International co-operation in these circumstances is imperative despite the ominous challenges posed by the global politico-economic landscape.
This is the context within which Egypt will formally take on the Presidency of the Global Climate Change Agenda. The spotlight will be focused intensely on the city of Sharm El Sheikh, with over 90 heads of State and government committed to attending, including those representing states in conflict as well as numerous anxious entities from the NGO and business communities. Hopefully, a year from now Cop28 will be convened in more auspicious circumstances.
Operational issues for events of this size will always be challenging, but I believe they are surmountable. In the existing environment of polarisation, with a dark cloud looming over international co-operation and consultation, any slight misstep or over-extension by a participant can overshadow – if not derail – serious and important negotiations.
Some argue that Egypt is bearing great risk by hosting Cop27 at this volatile political juncture. The risk is there, but given its long standing commitment to multilateralism, and the severe consequences the Mediterranean and North Africa face as a result, it is not surprising that the challenge has been taken on. Egypt believes it has a special responsibility to bear in this regard.
Others also argue that climate change targets unmet at Glasgow have almost no chance of being fulfilled in Sharm El Sheikh, given the challenging global circumstances. That is probably true, but that is even more reason to shed a bright light on excessive practices and inequities negatively affecting efforts to address climate change issues and try to address as many as possible. Time is of the essence.
The volatile, acutely polarised political landscape and the immense economic challenges caused by the Ukraine war are not conducive to decision-making
Egypt will face a moral, technological and economic challenge. We all have the right to legitimately pursue development goals and better standards of living. Excessive consumerism by the developed world without due consideration for climate change’s consequences is the root cause for present circumstances. These policies are what make it more probable that any global warming will be limited to a temperature closer to 2°C rather than the imperative 1.5°C .The developed world, not the developing one, should carry a substantial share of costs in addressing these issues. And addressing climate change should not be at the expense of legitimate development aspirations in developing countries.
At the same time, the international community at large must increasingly and more rapidly move towards cleaner technologies. That requires significant investment in sustainable energy and cleaner technologies, as well as enabling the less affluent to have access to them at viable costs. More sophisticated technologies, at lower costs and with wider equitable distribution, is critical. Funding resilience and sustainability is necessary. And the unmet annual $100 billion commitment previously made for this is no longer sufficient. Climate finance and climate adaptation is a condition sine qua none for progress.
Weekend Essays from The National
As Cop27 President, Egypt will be duty-bound to pursue objectives with global consensus, not only its national goals or those of developing countries. It has thus accepted that the Sharm El Sheikh conference will primarily be one implementation rather than increasing past emissions targets, in addition to other concrete proposals and actions.
Overcoming cool relations between the US and China to engage in serious and constructive climate change negotiations will seriously test Egypt’s diplomacy. As will the containment of any potential political posturing between Nato countries and Russia. I would hope that with its history of diplomatic dexterity Egypt could even use the presence of so many high-level attendees for some diplomatic door-opening or ice-shattering, even beyond the issue of climate change. Political de-escalation has rarely been more important than it is today.
Nevertheless, the developing world, and Africa in particular, will be expecting better results in Sharm El Sheikh, given Egypt’s stature. They will hope for more substantial and responsive climate change financial support than they have previously received.
Expectations will also be high for Sharm El Sheikh to lead to more equitable support for the developing world, too. Africa, after all, hosts 17 per cent of the world’s population and generates only 3 per cent of CO2 emissions because of low rates of development and limited availability of basic services. It is also worth highlighting that 60 per cent of what has been pledged to help developing countries thus far comes in the form of loans. Investments in climate change transition, particularly in the region’s private sector remains financially unattractive and well below required standards. Ultimately, climate change success globally and especially for developing countries is predicated in synchronising environmental and development policies encouraging public and private sector sources of financing .
These are challenging times, but Egypt clearly has the confidence and conviction required to play its role and bear its responsibilities. Success or failure however will have to be put in context. The Global Community at large stands at an historic crossroads. Through its positions and actions, the global community as a whole will determine success or failure at Sharm El Sheikh and define potential pathways towards the future.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Miguel Cotto world titles:
WBO Light Welterweight champion - 2004-06
WBA Welterweight champion – 2006-08
WBO Welterweight champion – Feb 2009-Nov 2009
WBA Light Middleweight champion – 2010-12
WBC Middleweight champion – 2014-15
WBO Light Middleweight champion – Aug 2017-Dec 2017
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
MATCH INFO
Burnley 1 (Brady 89')
Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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
Honeymoonish
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Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
The%20Roundup
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