COP28: Govs must raise climate targets within next two months, UAE’s al-Jaber says

Governments worldwide must raise their climate targets within the next two months, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) COP28 president designate Sultan al-Jaber said on Thursday.

“I call on all governments to update their NDCs by September of this year, ensuring alignment with the Paris Agreement,” al-Jaber said during a meeting in Brussels on Thursday with leaders and ministers from G20 countries.

NDCs – Nationally Determined Contributions – are the emissions-cutting pledges that serve as a country’s national contributions to meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement goals to curb the effects of climate change.

During the meeting, al-Jaber, also head of the UAE’s national oil company ADNOC, emphasized the theme of “inclusivity” during this year’s COP28 climate talks, which are due to begin in November in Dubai.

“Full inclusion will be the hallmark of the COP28 presidency,” al-Jaber said during a live broadcast of the meeting. “Climate change is our greatest shared challenge and we will only be successful by enhancing every person, every generation and every corner of society.”

“We are inviting every segment of society to join us at COP28,” al-Jaber said, adding that he was committed to working with indigenous people and youth and ensuring all “young voices” are heard in future COP talks.

Al-Jaber added that the COP28 talks will also feature a pavilion on indigenous people.

The COP28 president designate is currently in the Belgian capital to participate in talks happening on Thursday and Friday, hosted by Canada and China.

The so-called Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA) is an annual ministerial meeting on international climate action attended by Ministers from G20 countries and other key Parties in the UN climate negotiations, according to the European Commission website.