The UK’s Cop26 chief, Alok Sharma, is flying to China, the world’s biggest polluter, to talk about Beijing enhancing its promises on reaching carbon neutrality.
Mr Sharma warned the world was facing “climate catastrophe” as he planned face-to-face meetings in China, which has committed to climate neutrality by 2060.
In Covid-secure bubbles, he will discuss “plans for submitting an enhanced 2030 emissions reduction target” for China against a background of ever-more-dire climate warnings and the looming Cop26 environmental summit in Scotland in November.
“China clearly sees the economic and environmental opportunities a green future presents and Chinese climate leadership is going to be vital if we are to safeguard our planet for future generations,” Mr Sharma said.
“I welcome China’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2060 and look forward to discussing China's policy proposals towards this goal, its plans for submitting an enhanced 2030 emissions reduction target, as well as how we work towards a successful multilateral outcome at Cop26.”
This year’s Northern Hemisphere summer has seen wildfires and temperature spikes in North America, Europe and the Arctic.
An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, compiled by more than 200 experts, was described as a “code red for humanity” by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
It warned tropical cyclones are getting stronger and wetter, while Arctic sea ice is dwindling in the summer and permafrost is thawing. All of these trends will get worse without urgent action.
Mr Sharma will travel to China for meetings between September 5-7 with senior representatives from the government and business.
“The recent IPCC report was clear that human activity is responsible for the climate change the world is experiencing, and unless we collectively take action in this decisive decade, we are heading for climate catastrophe,” Mr Sharma said.
“As the biggest emitter in the world, responsible for a quarter of all emissions, what China does on climate action absolutely matters.
The Cop26 summit of world leaders is billed as humanity's “last, best chance” to restrict global warming to 1.5°C and avert an environmental catastrophe.
The four main goals of Cop26 are:
1. Secure global net-zero by midcentury and keep limit of 1.5C temperature increase within reach.
2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats.
3. Mobilise finance.
4. Collaborate to deliver.
In five scenarios put forward in the IPCC report, the target of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels would be breached in the 2030s.
Already, temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C since the 1850-1900 period.
UN experts say that half a degree of extra warming — 2°C instead of 1.5°C — would have effects on the planet that are far more severe
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
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
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
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
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
