NEW YORK, US – UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri called upon the global community to utilize the opportunity offered by COP28 in the Emirates to drive climate action by focusing on food systems transformation and promoting nature-based solutions.
She made the comments during her high-level meetings on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Almheiri, who is also the COP28 Food Systems Lead, highlighted the prominence placed by the UAE on food and agriculture in COP28 agenda.
She also marked the UAE’s endorsement of the Mangrove Breakthrough and announced the Mangroves Ministerial to be hosted at COP28 on the Nature, Oceans and Land Use Day to drive forward discussions to advance nature-based solutions.
In the Ministerial Panel Discussion on the High Impact Initiative Food Systems, organized by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she explained the importance of the COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda.
This focuses on four key domain – country-led action, non-state actor leadership and action, innovation scaling and finance.
She invited all countries to sign the first-ever Emirates Declaration on Food Systems, Agriculture and Climate Action by September 27.
Almheiri reiterated the UAE’s commitment to nature-based solutions and their role in building resilience to climate change.
She said that as part of the Presidency’s Action Agenda, COP28 will mobilize action to drive implementation and advance the climate-nature agenda.
COP28 will demonstrate practical, novel and at-scale solutions that protect, restore and sustainably manage land and ocean ecosystems – such as forests, mangroves, peatlands and corals.
Endorsing the Mangrove Breakthrough, Almheiri said, “This collaborative effort between the Global Mangrove Alliance and the UN Climate Change High-level Champions has support from non-state actors and governments worldwide with one main goal: to restore and protect 15 million hectares of mangroves globally by 2030.”
She said, “It is exactly these types of ambitious, accountable and collaborative nature-based projects that can help the global community get back on track for the Paris Agreement goals by 2050.”
She called on all nations to endorse the Mangrove Breakthrough and actively participate in the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC).
MAC, which is a partnership between the UAE and Indonesia, has attracted 20 partners to scale up and accelerate the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems for the benefit of communities worldwide.
Speaking at the ‘Food+ Forum: Foreign Policy’, alongside Thomas Vilsack, Secretary, US Department of Agriculture, Almheiri reiterated the need to direct collective innovation and mobilise global finance to fight global hunger and create sustainable and equitable food systems.
She invited nations to join AIM for Climate, which the UAE co-leads with the US. AIM for Climate, which boasts over 500 international partners, has raised $13 billion in investment for climate-smart agriculture and food system innovation.
These bilateral meetings have been pivotal in fostering collaborations for climate action, recognizing the shared commitment to tackling climate change head-on.
These engagements also exemplified the UAE’s dedication to a sustainable future, where innovation, cooperation, and ambition pave the way for transformative action on the global stage.