Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President, has called for greater efforts to tackle adaptation finance gaps and prioritise actions to make climate finance more accessible to vulnerable nations.
His remarks came during the third Climate and Development Ministerial, which was convened at Pre-COP, and co-hosted by the United Kingdom, Vanuatu and Malawi.
"People and the planet lie at the heart of the climate process - which is focused on protecting lives, livelihoods and nature," Dr Sultan said.
Addressing delegates, he added, "To guarantee an inclusive and equitable transition to low-carbon and resilient growth, the voices of emerging and developing countries must not go unheard. COP28 must leverage an adequate response to the Global Stocktake and set out a pathway to fill the financing gaps and address shortcomings in the global climate finance architecture."
Co-hosts in the United Kingdom stressed the need to support the most vulnerable. Graham Stuart, UK Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, said, "The UK is determined to deliver on its ambitious climate commitments while supporting those most at risk from the impacts of climate change – represented by our $2 billion contribution to the Green Climate Fund earlier this year.
"These pre-COP discussions are key to shaping the agenda for COP28. Together with our international partners, we will delve into the challenges and opportunities involved in our mission to reduce CO2 and help the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. We'll hear different perspectives on the global effort to keep 1.5°C within reach and encourage every nation to join the UK on a pathway to net zero.”
The importance of the Ministerial was highlighted by the Vanuatu Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geohazards and Disasters Management, Hon. Ralph Regenvanu. He said, “As we gather today, the people of Vanuatu are right now facing a landscape destroyed by Cyclone Lola that hit just days ago. Climate impacts are growing daily in the Pacific Islands as the cause of the crisis continues unabated.”
“Adaptation and resilience initiatives are a last line of defence, literally saving lives in Vanuatu, by minimising the impacts of the worsening climate crisis. Yet, Small Island Developing States struggle to access the funding we need to support the adaptation plans and programs that are so desperately required in our island communities. We stand side-by-side with our co-hosts to ensure the 2023 Climate and Development Ministerial delivers real change. We call on all countries and institutes to bring transformative ambition to this process.”
#COP28 President calls for improved adaptation finance for vulnerable nations at Climate and Development Ministerial#WamNews https://t.co/ShuWNmhNXV pic.twitter.com/q17c2viL40
— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) October 29, 2023
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