New York, September 24, 2023 (WAM) – Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, the Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, has urged nations worldwide to seize the significant opportunities presented by COP28 in the UAE to drive climate action. Her call emphasizes the importance of focusing on food systems transformation and promoting nature-based solutions to address pressing environmental challenges.
Almheiri made this appeal during her high-level meetings held on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
In her role as the COP28 Food Systems Lead, Almheiri emphasized the critical need for collective action to create more sustainable global food systems. She highlighted the UAE’s prioritization of food and agriculture within the COP28 agenda.
Additionally, Almheiri announced the UAE’s endorsement of the Mangrove Breakthrough and revealed plans to host the Mangroves Ministerial during COP28 on the Nature, Oceans, and Land Use Day. The aim of this ministerial event is to facilitate discussions and drive forward initiatives related to nature-based solutions.
During her participation in the Ministerial Panel Discussion on the High Impact Initiative Food Systems, organized by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Almheiri elaborated on the COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda. This agenda focuses on four key domains: country-led action, non-state actor leadership and action, innovation scaling, and finance.
Almheiri extended an invitation to all countries to demonstrate national leadership by endorsing the inaugural Emirates Declaration on Food Systems, Agriculture, and Climate Action. This declaration has been sent to Agriculture Ministers for their feedback and is a significant step toward enhancing global food systems.
Highlighting the UAE’s commitment to nature-based solutions and their role in building climate resilience, Almheiri spoke at the High-Level event for ‘Nature and People (HAC): From Ambition to Action.’ She emphasized COP28’s role in mobilizing action to implement climate-nature initiatives and promote practical, large-scale solutions to protect and sustainably manage critical land and ocean ecosystems.
Almheiri expressed her support for the Mangrove Breakthrough, a collaborative effort aimed at restoring and protecting 15 million hectares of mangroves globally by 2030. This initiative, supported by the Global Mangrove Alliance and the UN Climate Change High-level Champions, aligns with the goals of the Paris Agreement and addresses climate change through nature-based projects.
She urged all nations to endorse the Mangrove Breakthrough and participate actively in the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC), a partnership between the UAE and Indonesia with 20 partners committed to conserving and restoring mangrove ecosystems for the benefit of communities worldwide.
At the ‘Food+ Forum: Foreign Policy,’ Almheiri emphasized the need for collective innovation and global finance mobilization to combat global hunger and establish sustainable, equitable food systems. She encouraged nations to join AIM for Climate, a collaborative initiative co-led by the UAE and the USA, which has garnered over 500 international partners and raised $13 billion for climate-smart agriculture and food system innovation.
Almheiri highlighted the UAE’s belief in securing equitable climate finance for developing nations as a powerful means to improve global food systems. She expressed the UAE Presidency’s determination to address these priorities during COP28, with the goal of creating a positive paradigm shift in food systems worldwide.
Throughout the week, Almheiri engaged in a series of productive bilateral meetings with key figures such as Vincent Van Quickenborne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and the North Sea of Belgium; Svenja Schulze, Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development; Steffi Lemke, Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection; and Idit Silman, Israel’s Minister of Environmental Protection. These meetings fostered collaboration on climate action and demonstrated the UAE’s commitment to a sustainable future driven by innovation, cooperation, and ambition on the global stage.
