COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber Opening Speech at the UN Climate Change Conference | #COP28 – Transcript

00:01Good morning. Good afternoon to all. Welcome to the United Arab Emirates, the country of Zaid, the country of giving the country of development and sustainability.

00:24Excellencies, dear friends, colleagues, members of every delegation, it is an honor to be with you today. And I am so glad that this day has finally arrived. And as my first official act

00:52as co-president, allow me to express my gratitude to my very dear friend, Sa'amah Shukri. Your Excellency, you have led this conference with vision, purpose, and integrity.

01:15We are indebted to you for your service, your accomplishments, and your commitment to climate progress. And allow me to also extend my gratitude to every person in this room.

01:36We come from different nations, different backgrounds, and different generations. Yet, we share something vital. At some point in each of our lives, we all made a choice,

02:01a choice to help carry the burden of a great responsibility, to raise our hands and bear some portion of the weight on our shoulder. That choice is why we are all here in the United

02:22Arab Emirates today. The UAE is deeply proud and humbled to be hosting COP28 at a pivotal time in this critical decade for climate action. We know, as you know, the gravity of this moment.

02:46We feel as you feel the urgency of this work, and we see as you see that the world has reached a crossroads. And yes, since Paris, we have made some progress. But we also know

03:10that the road we have been on will not get us to our destination in time. The science has spoken. It has been loud and clear. It has confirmed that the moment is now to find a new road,

03:33a road wide enough for all of us. Three of the obstacles and the detours of the past that new road starts with a decision on the global stock take. A decision that is ambitious

03:54corrects course and accelerates action to 2030. Through the global stock take, we have a chance to unite the three core elements of the climate agenda.

04:11We can finally bring mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation which includes finance under one umbrella. United around higher ambition, giving clear direction on nationally determined contributions, and connecting everything we agree here to practical action

04:40in the real world. Every nation, every sector, and every one of us has an urgent and an immediate role to play. For my part, I pledge that I will run an inclusive and transparent process,

05:04one that encourages free and open discussion between all parties. I ask you to start this COP with a different mindset. I ask you to adopt a different way of thinking, and I ask you to be

05:28flexible. We must ensure that this COP delivers the most ambitious global stock take possible. So let's work efficiently. Let's agree on the agenda and move to text quickly.

05:49Please, we have no time to waste. Friends, I believe that the United Arab Emirates reflects the spirit we

06:10need at this COP. My country is only two years older than me, and that makes it a young country. In fact, a very young country. It is a nation that throws up from the desert through the vision and foresight of our late founding father,

06:35Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, and the conviction and aspiration he passed on to the generations that followed. And now, 52 years later, just look around. We may be a young nation,

06:56but we have big ambitions and hold fast to principles like collaboration, optimism, true partnership, determination, and commitment. These are the ingredients that make up the DNA of the United Arab Emirates. And it's these core values of trust, purpose,

07:25partnership, and pragmatism that I believe must define the DNA of COP 28. That means it is essential that no issue is left off the table. And yes, as I have been saying, we must

07:56look for ways and ensure the inclusion of the role of fossil fuels. I know there are strong views about the idea of including language on fossil fuels and renewables in the negotiated text.

08:13We collectively have the power to do something unprecedented. In fact, we have no choice but to go the very unconventional way. I ask you all to work together. Be flexible.

08:36Find common ground. Come forward with solutions and achieve consensus and never lose sight

08:50of our North Star of 1.5. Because that is what I am going to stay laser focused on.

09:14Excellencies, dear friends, we all know that a key success factor across climate agenda is finance. And for too long, finance has not been available, accessible, or affordable. This presidency

09:37is committed to unlocking finance to ensure that the global south does not have to choose between development and climate action. Let this be the year that climate finance

10:07meets the magnitude of the moment. Let this be the cop where we deliver on our promises from the 100 billion to loss and damage, and on loss and damage. I know how important this issue is to the parties, particularly to the most vulnerable. What began in Sharma Sheikh

10:35and what was given critical momentum and traction in Abu Dhabi earlier this month must now be delivered and actioned here in Dubai. And allow me here to pause for a moment

10:59to honor the memory of our distinguished colleague and my dear friend, Salim Al-Hab. He devoted his entire career to the cause of finding a way to address loss and damage. And I personally benefited from his advice and his experience, particularly on the imperative

11:22to shift the world's focus to the needs of adaptation. Excellencies, adaptation adaptation must be at the heart of our action. We must bridge the finance gap