Environment ministers from more than 50 countries are to meet in London on Sunday for crucial talks ahead of the UN Cop26 climate change summit in November.
The talks bring together representatives from major emitters – including the US and China – as well as smaller countries deemed most at risk from global warming.
The UAE is also among the countries with a seat at the table for the two-day meeting, which will be a combination of virtual and in-person attendance.
Cop26 president Alok Sharma said negotiators will attempt to agree a framework on key climate goals ahead of the November conference in Glasgow, in Scotland.
With less than 100 days to go to the summit, the UK government has come under increasing pressure to take more urgent action on climate change.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on Friday accused by protesters of being “missing in action” on the issue.
Leaders and diplomats, including US presidential climate envoy John Kerry, have repeatedly stressed that the Cop26 meeting may be the last chance to set international policies that would prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels.
Scientists say the benchmark is key to staving off the worst effects of climate change.
The difficulties of finding common ground were highlighted this week when the G20 nations were unable to set their collective goals, as a group of major emitters resisted making commitments.
After marathon negotiations that ran through the night in Naples on Friday, the ministers couldn’t reach agreement on phasing out coal or how much to limit global warming.
The divisions among the G20 nations bode badly for the climate talks in Glasgow.
The US, Canada and Europe lobbied for including the goal of limiting warming to 1.5ºC. But other countries were unwilling to go beyond the 2015 Paris Agreement’s less ambitious target range of 2ºC above pre-industrial levels.
Mr Sharma urged nations to have “frank conversations” so agreement could be reached before November.
Ministers are expected to discuss climate finance, adaption and resilience and a set of international rules to govern emissions reductions during Sunday's talks.
“We are facing perilous times for our planet and the only way we will safeguard its future is if countries are on the same path,” he said.
“As ministers responsible for tackling climate change, we hold the weight of the world on our shoulders, and the next two days will be nothing short of critical.
“With parties coming from differing standpoints and perspectives, the world will be watching to see whether we come together in Glasgow and do what is necessary to turn things around in this decisive decade,” Mr Sharma said.
On Friday, Glasgow told leaders that efforts to step up action on climate change will fail unless the world's poorest see the benefits of the policies.
Sue Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said net zero emissions must be achieved “for our people, not to them".
“It can't be about just telling our poorest residents what they have to give up ... [It] has to show how to take advantage of this changing world,” she said.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
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On sale: now
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
