COP28: Dr Sultan Al Jaber meets Ursula von der Leyen for climate talks in Brussels

Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President Designate, met with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.

The leaders released a joint statement following their meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to facilitate the “highest possible ambition” for this year’s COP28 climate conference scheduled to be held in Dubai later this year.

Dr Al Jaber said, “Europe, and the European Union, are already playing a leading role in climate action, and will be vital and trusted partners at COP28. We appreciate the European Commission’s support for our call to triple renewable energy by 2030. We can’t achieve our shared objectives unless we work together in a collective effort.”

#COP28UAE President-Designate #DrSultanAlJaber met with @EU_Commission President @vonderleyen, in Brussels today. They discussed #COP28 agenda priorities and ambitions, as well as collaboration on multilateral initiatives for successful climate outcomes. pic.twitter.com/EqhehjPIC8

— COP28 UAE (@COP28_UAE) June 7, 2023

The statement highlighted a common vision for a just energy transition and promised to leave no one behind.

Discussed with @COP28_UAE President-Designate Sultan Al Jaber how we will work together for an ambitious COP28 outcome.

The world needs urgent and ambitious action, and we count on UAE leadership to make COP28 a success.@vonderleyen @TimmermansEU
https://t.co/YAgMYIbEAx pic.twitter.com/4lSnz5mitZ

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) June 7, 2023

COP28 preparatory meet

The COP28 President-Designate and European Commission President urged governments to align their national efforts to keep the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach. The statement read, “Urging all Parties to align their national efforts with the shared commitment to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, including to pursue efforts to keep the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach, in line with the commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow and COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh and the findings of the latest science from the IPCC.”

The statement also underlined the need to promote policies and investments that scale up renewable energy while working towards an energy system that is not dependent on unabated fossil fuels. However, ensuring every country’s energy security, accessibility and affordability would need to go hand in hand with this transition.

Good meeting with President Sultan Al Jaber to prepare @COP28_UAE.

In Dubai we will take stock of progress on the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

We need global targets on renewable energy and efficiency to cut emissions.

We’ll push for this at #COP28.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 7, 2023

The talks also looked at the funding arrangements for the loss and damage fund to assist the most vulnerable communities, and said that COP28 would work towards the full implementation of the $100bn delivery plan. The talks stressed on achieving “significant progress on enhanced adaptation action that builds resilience and reduces vulnerability, with a robust outcome on the Global Goal on Adaptation at COP28.”

“Capital will be key across every climate pillar – and what I have heard repeatedly on my travels is that climate finance is nowhere near available, affordable or accessible enough,” Dr Al Jaber said.

The joint statement promised that the two sides will “will work together in multiple areas to drive a just energy transition, including targeting tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 and doubling clean hydrogen by unlocking global cross-border trade.”

“Combatting climate change will require a collective effort – and that means everyone, everywhere” Dr Al Jaber said. “We need solidarity, unity and partnership across all sectors and between all stakeholders to move from goals to getting it done. COP28 must be a COP of action and a COP for all if we are to deliver the system-wide transformation that the world needs.”

The months preceding COP28 will see multiple summits in preparation for the climate talks.

These include the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact on 22-23 June, the Ministerial on Climate Action on 13-14 July, the G20 Energy Ministers Meeting on 22 July, the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministers Meeting on 28 July, the G20 Leaders Summit on 9-10 September, the UNSG’s Climate Summit on 20 September and multiple regional political fora around the world.