The Middle East and North Africa Climate Week 2022 (MENACW22), began at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, marking the first-ever regional climate week to be hosted by the UAE and the event will run until 31st March.
The opening ceremony had the presence of several leaders from the UAE including, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber (Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change), Ms. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri (Minister of Climate Change and the Environment), Mr. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer (Chairman of the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) and MD and CEO of DEWA).
The event was also attended by Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), along with officials from the government and private sectors, dignitaries from the MENA region and beyond, and several heads of UN organizations, as well as a large number of climate action experts from all over the world.
The event is hosted by the UAE Government, represented by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), WGEO, and DEWA, in collaboration with the UNFCCC, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Bank Group.
MENACW22 is supported by regional partners, including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the League of Arab States Secretariat, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
At the opening ceremony, Mr. Al Tayer commended, “This event constitutes a milestone in the global climate action agenda, and marks a key moment for the region as we take up a leadership role in this global agenda.”
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber noted that given that the next two United Nations Climate Change Conferences will take place in this region, the MENA Climate Week is an ideal platform to address key climate challenges and answer them with smart, progressive climate solutions.
During the MENA Climate Week, the UAE will build regional synergies to boost the pace and scale of climate action and devise a regional response model that caters to the challenges and requirements of countries from the region to enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, Ms. Almheiri stated.
On her part, Ms. Espinosa recognized the UAE for its ongoing climate leadership and said that MENA Climate Week 2022 advances efforts to open opportunities in the transition to net-zero emissions.
