SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt — Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) has emphasised that the role of parliaments in addressing several issues facing today’s world included the phenomenon of climate change, one of the biggest challenges facing their legislative and monitoring roles.
Ghobash said parliaments play a key role in enacting, legislating, or amending laws related to investment and the national transition to renewable energy sources and in monitoring implementation and government spending in this field.
The FNC Speaker made these remarks while addressing the opening session of the global parliament organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, in cooperation with the Egyptian House of Representatives, on the sidelines of COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh.
The event witnessed large participation from parliamentary delegations of more than 60 countries, international and regional parliamentary organisations, several parliament speakers, and high-profile personalities. The FNC delegation included several FNC members.
Ghobash stated that today’s world is witnessing a scientific and technical boom, which is the fastest and most advanced through all the stages of human history, especially as we live through the fourth industrial revolution, and the eras of biotechnology and big data. At the same time, we are facing several unprecedented challenges that threaten humans, with climate change representing the most severe problem.
Facing the phenomenon of climate change is no longer confined to one country over another, but is a duty and shared responsibility that the entire world, peoples and governments, bear, he added. According to World Health Organisation reports, climate change is responsible today for the deaths of nearly seven million people annually. It is also responsible for global warming at rates exceeding 1.5° Celsius in the coming decades, which means more severe weather phenomena that will cause great human, material and environmental losses.
Ghobash said, “We look forward to hosting you in the UAE, the land of tolerance, coexistence, and human fraternity, during COP28, which will be held in the UAE next year.”
In conclusion, Ghobash extended his thanks and appreciation to Egypt for its warm welcome and generosity.