The UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP28) will mark a significant milestone in the history of global climate action, as the COP28 Presidency has set an ambitious strategy with four pillars, which are accelerating the transition to a low-carbon world by 2023; reforming climate financing by meeting commitments and establishing a new relevant framework; focussing on individuals, livelihoods and adaptation; and integrating diverse groups for the most inclusive COP ever.

In his new book, titled “Implementation Summit COP28: UAE in the Face of Climate Change Challenges", Emirati author Yusuf Juma Al Haddad covers two key issues, which are the historical context of climate change action and the UAE's vision for addressing climate-related financing gaps.

The author defines climate change, citing the United Nations (UN), as unusual and long-term temperature and weather pattern changes, and attributes the phenomenon to five main causes, which are human activities, which produce 162 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually; fossil fuels, which are responsible for 75 percent of global GHG emissions and 90 percent of carbon dioxide emissions; deforestation, which releases stored carbon; modern agricultural practices such as the use of synthetic fertilisers and machinery, which intensify GHG emissions; and natural factors such as Earth's cycles, solar radiation, and volcanic eruptions.

Global concern is growing about the potential for carbon emissions to raise temperatures by several degrees Celsius by 2100, entailing huge risks, including higher temperatures, increased humidity, heavy rainfall that causes floods, melting ice caps, damage to marine life, food shortages, and the spread of disease. To address these concerns, related efforts aim to restrict emissions and limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The book's second part, "Climate Finance Gap: The UAE's Perspective on the COP28 Agenda", highlights the UAE's efforts to ensure the conference's success in securing financing agreements for sustainability and climate-related projects, especially in developing nations with growing clean energy demands.

The book also discusses the UAE's significant experience in reducing carbon emissions, exemplified by the establishment of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi in 2006, the world's first carbon-neutral city, with a US$1.7 billion investment in clean energy projects. The UAE is also the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to set a goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

In his book, Al Haddad outlines official measures that the UAE had been taking to ensure COP28's success, including the formation of the COP28 Higher Committee on 23rd June, 2022, chaired by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and appointing Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, as President of COP28.