Business leaders and policymakers gathered in London at the London Climate Action Week between June 24 and July 2 to forge partnerships to advance climate and nature goals ahead of the COP28 UAE climate conference, which will be held in Dubai on November 30, 2023.
One of these gatherings, which included 700 senior representatives from business, government, and civil society, was held by the educational charity Policy Exchange to develop and promote new policy ideas. Among the invited speakers were Alexander Downer, the former Australian Foreign Minister, and Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, a globally diversified company with its headquarters in the UAE.
Badr Jafar stated in a keynote address to the gathering, ” The United Arab Emirates, like the United Kingdom, is making significant progress on its path to a net-zero and nature-friendly future. Our continued dedication to this journey is reflected in COP28. However, we also acknowledge that it is not a journey that can be undertaken alone, and that our collective path to net zero must also be robust and filled with opportunities for the six and a half billion children, women, and men who live in developing nations.
The 46 least developed countries (LDCs) in the world, which are home to approximately 1.1 billion people, were estimated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to be responsible for only 1.1% of the world’s CO2 emissions in a recent report. According to the same report, the average person’s carbon footprint in a developed nation was more than 23 times higher than in a least developed nation. Additionally, developing nations are surviving more severe heat waves, floods, and droughts as a result of climate shifts.
By 2030, developing nations will require $2 trillion annually to reduce emissions and safeguard their economies from climate change, according to a report released at the COP27 summit in Egypt. However, nowhere near that amount is being directed toward these nations. The urgent need to develop investment and financing mechanisms for climate action that are accessible, affordable, and equitable in their construction was also discussed by attendees at the London Climate Action Week.
“COP28 has an unparalleled opportunity to create a paradigm shift in thinking and doing towards achieving our urgent climate and nature goals – these global challenges require locally-relevant solutions, and COP28 provides a truly inclusive platform upon which diverse people from all regions of the world can come together with our private, public, and civil society sectors to co-create pathways to success,” Jafar emphasized the unique role that COP28 can play in advancing a more inclusive agenda for climate action.
Over the past two decades, Crescent Enterprises has been a driving force behind sustainable development. The diversified company is active in vital sectors like sustainable energy, logistics, strategic investments, and business incubation. It has also sought innovative ways to reduce its carbon footprint and help preserve the environment throughout its operations and investments on five continents. Moreover, the organization’s corporate endeavor stage, CE-Adventures, has throughout the course of recent years put resources into 11 green tech organizations that are leading green advancements in regions like vertical cultivating, green versatility, and clean energy arrangements.
