COP28 President-Designate Pleas For Responsible Energy Transition

COP28 President-Designate Plea On Climate Change

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, delivered a passionate plea for global leaders to take immediate and collective action on climate change. Speaking at the UAE Climate Tech conference in Abu Dhabi, he emphasised the need to accelerate the development and deployment of technological solutions to decarbonize economies and reduce emissions by at least 43 percent by 2030.

Dr. Al Jaber called on the oil and gas industry to eliminate methane emissions by 2030 and urged global leaders to align around comprehensive net-zero plans by 2050. He highlighted the urgency of a responsible and pragmatic energy transition, emphasising the importance of phasing out fossil fuel emissions while increasing the adoption of viable zero-carbon alternatives. He stressed the need to ensure that the global south is not left behind in this transition.

Citing the latest IPCC report, Dr. Al Jaber emphasised that the world is off track in meeting its climate goals. With global energy demand expected to increase due to population growth, he called for a major course correction that translates COP negotiations into tangible actions. He emphasised the crucial role of technology as the primary source of breakthrough solutions.

Climate Change Technologies Can Contribute To Global Growth

Dr. Al Jaber acknowledged the significant progress in cleantech investments, which exceeded $1 trillion in 2022, but highlighted the immense potential for further growth. He regarded the ongoing transformation as an unparalleled opportunity for human and economic development, likening it to the first industrial revolution. By stimulating the right investments and implementing the appropriate policies, he believed that climate technologies could contribute significantly to global growth while removing up to 25 billion metric tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Addressing the limitations of renewable energy, Dr. Al Jaber highlighted that heavy-emitting industries, such as cement, steel, and aluminium, account for a substantial portion of global emissions. With more than 5,000 such plants worldwide, he emphasised that wind and solar alone cannot address their energy requirements.

Dr. Al Jaber went on to highlight the critical role of hydrogen and carbon capture in enabling a responsible and pragmatic energy transition.

"Here is where solutions like hydrogen can play a role, but they need to be scaled up and commercialised to make a real impact on the energy system. If we are serious about curbing industrial emissions, we need to get serious about carbon capture technologies. In any realistic scenario that gets us to net zero, carbon capture technology will have a role to play. Without it, the math just doesn’t add up."

He advocated for the rapid development and implementation of innovative technological solutions to decarbonize economies and achieve substantial emission reductions. By leveraging climate technologies, he believed that a new economic development model could emerge, combining emissions reduction with sustainable economic growth.