Multilingual Video “Ultra-High Voltage: Connecting a Greener World” Showcased

BELÉM, Brazil, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — With a vivid and intuitive video, the features and advantages of China’s Ultra-High Voltage (UHV) power transmission technology come to life on screen. The creative multilingual video, “Ultra-High Voltage: Connecting a Greener World,” recently debuted at the China Pavilion of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Produced through a collaboration between State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company, China International Publishing Center (CIPC), and Hunzhi Culture Communication Co., Ltd., the video, unlike traditional text-heavy narratives, illustrates the energy-saving, emission-reducing, environmentally responsible, and secure attributes of China’s UHV technology through engaging animations, drawing the attention of international delegates. To further enhance global understanding of the technology, multilingual comic brochures were displayed alongside the video at the exhibition booth, where many attendees stopped to collect copies.

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Looking ahead, Hunzhi plans to continue exploring the use of comics as a multilingual communication format. Through creative animated videos, illustrated brochures, and comic books showcased on international cultural exchange platforms, the company aims to present China’s UHV technology and related practices in a more dynamic and accessible manner, fostering mutual understanding and cross-cultural exchange.

Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2844258/video_1.mp4

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2844294/1.jpg

BELÉM, Brazil, Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The China Pavilion at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) held a side event of the Erhai Forum on Global Ecological Civilization on November 14, drawing close to 100 participants from across the globe. The session provided a platform for international dialogue on approaches to ecological governance and sustainable development.

Attendees included Yan Shidong, Director of the Center for Environmental Education and Communications at China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment; Yang Zeliang, Vice Governor of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture; Zhang Yong, Party Secretary and Chairman, SPIC Integrated Smart Energy Co., Ltd; Dong Yan, Deputy Director-General of the China International Publishing Center (CIPC), under the China International Communications Group (CICG); Nelmara Arbex, ESG Leader for KPMG Brazil & KPMG Americas; and Zhan Liang, CEO of SUS International, Shanghai SUS Environment Co., Ltd. Discussions focused on identifying actionable areas for cooperation to inform international environmental governance.

The event also featured the launch of the “Listening to a Breathing Earth” Natural Sound Collection Project, along with a curated exhibition of photography and video showcasing the ecological and cultural richness of China’s Yunnan province. Through visual presentations and on-site exhibits featuring interactive elements, the forum highlighted China’s ongoing work on ecological conservation and shared practical insights with an international audience.

The event was organized by CIPC and the People’s Government of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, with guidance from CICG and the Information Office of the Yunnan Provincial People’s Government, reflecting the role of multilateral exchange in contributing to ecological progress. Looking ahead, CICG plans to continue using the Erhai Forum as a key platform for engagement at future UN climate conferences, bringing together stakeholders from around the world to support global environmental governance initiatives.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2841363/1.jpg

WVA in Geneva

Consumers Must Be Recognised, Not Sidelined

CARIBPR WIRE, GENEVA, Nov. 03, 2025: A light show protest projected on the COP11 venue by the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has drawn attention to the misinformation threatening harm reduction policies in Caribbean countries. The protest shines a spotlight on the lack of consumer voices and the outdated tobacco control strategies backed by the WHO that could harm smokers looking for less harmful alternatives.

Michael Landl, WVA Director, emphasized that: “The WHO remains trapped in an echo chamber of anti-science thinking that ignores the realities faced by nicotine consumers. Misinformation and fearmongering are driving policies that deny less harmful alternatives to smoking, putting public health at risk. Our protest demands that consumers’ voices be heard and their rights protected.”

Many Caribbean nations risk being overlooked in global discussions dominated by powerful interests. The WHO’s planned bans on flavoured vaping products, nicotine limits, and heavy taxes disregard scientific evidence showing alternatives like vaping and nicotine pouches offer far less harm than smoking, and help smokers quit.

Caribbean countries can take the lead at COP11 by advocating for evidence-based policies that reject blanket bans and misinformation. Embracing harm reduction is critical for public health progress in the Caribbean and globally.

The WVA’s “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter” campaign encourages Caribbean governments to resist one-size-fits-all bans, demand transparency, and ensure that adult consumers have a meaningful voice in shaping tobacco control policies that affect their lives. COP11 will take place in Geneva from November 17 to 22.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c4aedbc-a68c-4751-9a73-a8b23735353e

]]> https://caribpr.com/light-show-protest-ahead-of-cop11-highlights-who-misinformation/feed/ 0 https://caribpr.com/mia-amor-mottley-prime-minister-of-barbados-joins-gca-advisory-board/ https://caribpr.com/mia-amor-mottley-prime-minister-of-barbados-joins-gca-advisory-board/#comments Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:55:30 +0000 caribpr http://caribpr.com/?p=15461 CARIBPR WIRE, Rotterdam/Bridgetown, Mon. Nov. 27, 2023: The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has accepted an invitation from Ban Ki-moon, 8^th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the Board of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)and Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA to become a member of the Advisory Board.

On accepting the invitation, Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados said:
“For those who are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and for whom the current system isn’t working, the stakes couldn’t be higher. I look forward to working with the Global Center on Adaptation to ensure governments engage with greater urgency to fix a broken financial system and fulfil their commitment to double adaptation finance by 2025.”

Ban Ki-moon commended the Prime Minister’s work to reform the global financial system through the Bridgetown Initiative, a proposal for the creation of new instruments and the reform of existing institutions to finance climate resilience and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
“Prime Minister Mottley is shaking up the status quo to ensure inclusivity and that resilient finance will enable the GCA and climate vulnerable states to address the climate crisis effectively. I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at GCA to ensure funding reaches those who need it the most through our innovative and ground breaking adaptation programs.”

Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation said:

“The world’s poorest and most climate-vulnerable nations are falling into a destructive debt and climate disaster trap. The economic cost of climate disasters in developing countries is projected to reach as much as $580 billion a year by 2030. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mottley to break this vicious cycle. We need far greater investment in climate resilience – money invested in climate adaptation today will reduce the cost of dealing with climate disasters tomorrow.

Notes to Editors

About the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sectors. Founded in 2018, GCA operates from the largest floating office in the world, located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Beijing, China with an Africa office due to open in Nairobi in January 2025.

UAE Climate Tech provides platform to transform, decarbonize and future proof economies.

Power of technology to turn one of the greatest challenges we face today into one of the greatest opportunities for sustainable socio-economic development.

To maintain economic progress, while dramatically reducing emissions and meeting goals of Paris Agreement, we need nothing short of a major course correction.

Need to translate what we agree inside the COP negotiation rooms into practical actions in the real world.

We need breakthrough solutions, and the single most critical source of these solutions is technology.

The potential is there, but the landscape is fragmented and this is simply slowing us down. What is missing is a holistic, unifying ecosystem that brings all the key players together and brings everything under one umbrella.

With the right policies stimulating the right investments, climate technologies could at-least double their contribution to global growth, while removing up to 25 billion tons of carbon emissions annually.

By leveraging climate technologies, we can build a new economic development model based on putting an end to emissions, while breathing new life into economic growth.

Dr. Al Jaber repeats call for the tripling of global renewable energy capacity to 11000 GW by 2030 and double again by 2040.

Renewables not only answer. 5000 cement, steel and aluminum plants in the world make up more than 30 per cent of global emissions and none can run on renewable energy alone.

Hydrogen needs to be scaled up and commercialized to make real impact on energy system.

Most recent IPCC report clearly states that applying carbon capture technologies to heavy emitting industries is a critical enabler in the race to net zero.

Need to keep pushing for breakthroughs in battery storage, expand nuclear and invest in new energies like fusion.

Need to aggressively apply the latest platform technologies such as AI, robotics, and block chain, to increase the efficiency of the energies we use today across every sector.

Technology companies need to focus on food systems and agriculture- the biggest single source of greenhouse gasses, representing over one third of global emissions.

Dr Al Jaber repeats call for the oil and gas industry to zero out methane emissions by 2030 and align around comprehensive net zero plans by or before 2050.

need to phase out emissions from all sectors including transportation, agriculture, heavy industry, and of course fossil fuels, while investing in technologies to phase up all viable zero carbon alternatives.

Need to re-imagine the relationship between producers and consumers.

From one based purely on supply and demand, to a relationship that is focused on co-creating the future.

Critical that as we adopt new technologies, the global south is not left behind. Technology is essential to helping the most vulnerable communities, build capacities and leapfrog into a low carbon economic development model.

Paris Agreement united governments around what the world must do to meet the climate challenge, COP 28 will focus on the “how”.

COP 28 to be a COP of Practical Action and Pragmatic Results, a COP of Solutions, a COP of Impact, and a COP for ALL.

Let’s break down siloed thinking and build up an integrated creative partnership.

Let’s end the finger pointing and point to actions and targets and let’s point to a brighter future.

Together, let’s create a low carbon pathway to a high growth destination, because together is the only way we will get it done.

ABU DHABI, UAE, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, today, called for collective climate action from global leaders to transform, decarbonize and future-proof economies.

Dr. Al Jaber was speaking to over one thousand five hundred global policy makers, innovators, and industrial leaders at the UAE CLIMATE TECH conference in Abu Dhabi with a call to accelerate the development and deployment of technological solutions to decarbonize economies and reduce emissions by at least forty-three per cent by 2030 in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

In his remarks, he stressed the urgent need for a responsible and pragmatic energy transition that is laser-focused on phasing out fossil fuel emissions while phasing up all viable zero carbon alternatives while ensuring that the Global South is not left behind.

“The science is already telling us that we are way off track. The latest IPCC report has confirmed that the world must reduce emissions forty three percent by 2030, and that’s if we are serious about keeping the ambition of 1.5 alive. At the same time, we know that global energy demand will continue to increase because an additional half a billion people will join us on this planet by 2030.”

“If we are going to maintain economic progress, while dramatically reducing emissions, we need nothing short of a major course correction. We need to translate what we agree inside the COP negotiation rooms into practical actions in the real world. We need to find a way to hold back emissions, not progress. We need breakthrough solutions, and the single most critical source of these solutions is technology.”

Continuing his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber noted that clean tech investments broke the $1 trillion barrier for the first time in 2022, with substantial room for growth.

“I believe this transformation represents the greatest opportunity or human and economic development since the first industrial revolution, and I know we are moving in the right direction.”

“With the right policies stimulating the right investments, climate technologies could at least double their contribution to global growth, while removing up to twenty-five billion tons of carbon emissions annually. By leveraging climate technologies, we can build a new economic development model based on putting an end to emissions, while breathing new life into economic growth.”

Despite the growth of renewable energy, the majority of emissions cannot be solved by renewables alone, particularly in heavy emitting industries.  Dr. Al Jaber noted that there are more than 5,000 cement, steel and aluminum plants in the world today that together make up almost thirty per cent of global emissions and none of them can run on wind or solar alone.

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 it needs to be scaled up and commercialized to make a real impact in 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.”

Dr. Al Jaber emphasized the importance of continuing to invest in nuclear energy, and push for breakthroughs in battery storage, before moving on to the need for cooperation between agriculture and technology to drive down global emissions.

“We should remember that outside of heavy emitting industries, food systems and agriculture are the biggest single source of greenhouse gasses, representing over one third of global emissions. We need technology companies to really focus on this space.  The UAE is emerging as a leader in agri-tech, vertical farming, and the use of digital technologies to reduce energy and water use while increasing crop yields in harsh environments.

“Along with the United States, the UAE has launched AIM for Climate, a fifty-country coalition aimed at maximizing the use of commercial technology to reduce emissions and increase the availability of nutritious food around the world.”

Dr. Al Jaber repeated his call on the oil and gas industry to zero out methane emissions by 2030 and align around comprehensive net zero plans by or before 2050.

“While the world still uses hydrocarbons, we must do everything in our power to reduce and eventually eliminate the carbon intensity of that energy. That’s why I have called on the oil and gas industry to zero out methane emissions by 2030 and align around comprehensive net zero plans by or before 2050. The goal for this industry and all industries is clear.  We need to phase out emissions from all sectors including transportation, agriculture, heavy industry, and of course fossil fuel emissions, while investing in technologies to phase up all viable zero carbon alternatives.”

“For this to happen faster, we need to re-imagine the relationship between producers and consumers. From one based purely on supply and demand, to a relationship that is focused on co-creating the future. We must create an active partnership between the largest producers of energy, the biggest industrial consumers, technology companies, the finance community, government, and civil society. It is an all-of-the-above effort: working together, the goal would be an accelerated, pragmatic, practical and just energy transition that leaves no one behind.”

Dr. Al Jaber noted that maximizing technology adoption in the Global South requires the public, multilateral, and private sectors to supercharge climate finance by enhancing the availability, accessibility and affordability of capital countries that need it most.

“It is critical that as we adopt new technologies, the Global South is not left behind. Last year, developing economies received only twenty per cent of clean tech investments. These economies represent seventy percent of the world’s population – that’s over 5 billion people. Technology is essential to helping the most vulnerable communities build capacities and leapfrog into a low carbon economic development model.”

Concluding his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber noted that time is running out and the stakes for the planet are high. “While the historic Paris Agreement united governments around what the world must do to meet the climate challenge, COP28 will focus on the ‘how’,” Dr. Al Jaber said.

For up to date COP28 news, follow us on Twitter @COP28_UAE

Notes to Editors

COP28 UAE:

• COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
• As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
• The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2073963/COP28_UAE_1.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2073964/COP28_UAE_2.jpg

ABU DHABI, UAE, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today in a speech at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, the COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, presented his broad ambitions for COP28.

Dr. Al Jaber stated: “We have just passed the seven-year mark since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, with just seven years to go to 2030. Seven years to reduce emissions by 43 percent and keep the ambitions of the Paris Agreement alive.”

Dr Al Jaber added that, “the most recent IPCC report has already made it crystal clear that we are way off track. This is a moment of clarity that we must face with total honesty. We must unite and seize the moment of the Global Stocktake to put the world on the right track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.” On renewables, Dr Al Jaber called on the world to “triple capacity by 2030 and double it again by 2040.”

“In my meetings with climate, finance, and development ministers across the Global South, what I hear time and again is that climate finance is nowhere near available, accessible, or affordable enough. IFIs and MDBs are not keeping pace with the challenges of the 21st century.”

“Developing countries are still waiting for the 100 billion dollars promised by developed countries 14 years ago. This is holding up progress, and as part of my outreach, I am requesting donor countries to provide a definitive extraordinary report on the delivery of this commitment by COP28. It is vital to the political credibility of the UNFCCC process, that donors step up to this long overdue obligation ahead of COP28… especially as the real value of this commitment has eroded over time.”

Dr Al Jaber warned that “If the world does not come up with effective mechanisms to deliver climate finance to developing and emerging economies, they will have no choice but to choose a carbon intensive development path. That is an outcome we want to avoid simply because it is in nobody’s interests.”

“In a pragmatic, just and well managed energy transition, we must be laser-focused on phasing out fossil fuel emissions, while phasing up viable, affordable zero carbon alternatives. We know that the energies used today will continue to be part of the global energy mix for the foreseeable future. As such, we will work with the world to decarbonize the current energy system while we build a new one, capable of transitioning even the most heavy-emitting industries.”

He highlighted that “COP28 must also provide tangible solutions to help people adapt to climate change and manage growing climate impacts. That is why we will be the first COP to dedicate a day to health and the first to host a health and climate ministerial.”

“We need to broaden our definition of adaptation to enable global climate resilience, transform food systems, and enhance forestry, land use and water management.”

Dr. Al Jaber concluded by saying, “Let’s put an end to delays and start delivery. Let’s turn passion into pragmatic solutions. Let’s end polarization and empower partnership. There are moments in history when humanity comes together to fight a common threat… Let’s unite in solidarity for the sake of humanity. Let’s live up to the responsibility that we have been entrusted with. Let us restore political credibility to the legal agreements that we have not yet fulfilled. Let’s work together to deliver an ambitious agenda and a practical action-oriented plan for 2030. Let’s unite a divided world for the planet, for our people and for lasting sustainable development. The world demands transformational progress. The world needs transformational action.”

For all media enquiries and requests for interviews, please contact comms@climateenvoy.gov.ae, to watch the speech live, and for up-to-date COP28 news, follow us on Twitter @COP28_UAE

Notes to Editors:

• The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is an annual meeting, hosted by the German Government. It provides a platform between COP27 and COP28 for parties and constituencies to share views on priorities for the next United Nations Climate Conference or Conference of the Parties, more commonly referred to as COP.
• COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
• As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
• Since his appointment as President-Designate in January 2022, Dr. Al Jaber and the COP28 Leadership Team have proactively engaged on a Listening and Engagement Tour, where he has heard many voices from the global south, major economies, Indigenous peoples, NGOs, youth, civil society, and the business community.

]]> https://caribpr.com/cop28-president-designate-calls-for-climate-action-that-hits-2030-targets-unlocks-climate-finance-and-leaves-no-one-behind/feed/ 0 https://caribpr.com/media-advisory-livestream-of-petersburg-climate-dialogue-speeches-and-press-conference-2-3-may/ https://caribpr.com/media-advisory-livestream-of-petersburg-climate-dialogue-speeches-and-press-conference-2-3-may/#comments Mon, 01 May 2023 13:13:55 +0000 caribpr http://caribpr.com/?p=15208 Abu Dhabi, 1 May 2023: 2 / 3 May 2023, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue will take place at the Federal Foreign Office, at the invitation of German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, and COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber.

Media unable to attend in person are invited to watch and/or listen to the speeches and the press conference LIVESTREAMEDvia link – see details below:

Tuesday, 2 May, 10.30 – 12.00 (CET)

Speeches from the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukray and COP28 President-Designate Dr Sultan Al Jaber will be livestreamed.

A live video feed will be provided via the Twitter channels of the Federal Foreign Office in German (@AuswaertigesAmt), English and Arabic (@GermanyDiplo)

Wednesday, 3 May, 13.45 – 14.15 (CET)

Joint press conference by German Federal Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, and COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber will be livestreamed.

Languages: German-English (simultaneous interpretation)

A live video feed will be provided via the Twitter channels of the Federal Foreign Office in German (@AuswaertigesAmt) and English (@GermanyDiplo)

-ENDS-

For all media enquiries and requests for interviews, please contact comms@climateenvoy.gov.ae

Notes to Editors

COP28 UAE:

• COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
• As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
• The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.

UAE and China to build on strength of strategic relationship to maximize practical, pragmatic climate progress ahead of COP28 to keep 1.5 alive.

Given the size of China’s economy – which will soon be the world’s largest – the country’s potential to promote climate progress is immense.

Over the past five years alone, China has added more than 40% of the world’s new solar and wind power capacity and has set a very ambitious target of deploying 1,200 gigawatts of renewable capacity by or before the end of this decade.

Through a shared commitment to climate action and sustainable economic development, the UAE will work with China to accelerate energy transition ahead of COP28.

UAE and China will align efforts to drive a just and equitable energy transition for the Global South and the world, through South South cooperation, investment and technology transfer.

COP28 President-Designate also met with clean tech entrepreneurs and addressed students at prestigious Tsinghua University Institute for Carbon Neutrality.

Partnerships at government, private sector, academic and civil society levels will be key to making COP28 a COP of Action, and a COP of solidarity, unity and impact .

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, has concluded a two-day trip to China, where he held a series of bilateral meetings, including with Ding Xuexiang, First Vice Premier of China; Zhao Chenxin, Vice Chairman of the NDRC; HE Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment; Xie Zhenhua, Special Envoy for Climate Change; and Dr. Zhang Jianhua, Director of the National Energy Administration. Dr. Al Jaber also met and addressed students at the prestigious Tsinghua University Institute for Carbon Neutrality, where he highlighted China’s leadership in renewable energy development and highlighted its unique capacity to enhance South-South cooperation on climate action.

Building on the strength of the UAE China strategic partnership, discussions focused on partnerships around practical, concrete efforts in the run up to COP28 for a step change to help achieve transformational climate progress. Given the size of China’s economy, and its leadership position in advancing clean technologies, the country’s potential to promote sustainable low carbon economic growth is immense.

“Given the size of China’s economy and the scale of its development of renewable energy and decarbonization technology, China provides a good model for sustainable economic growth and the global energy transition. Over the past five years alone, China has been responsible for adding more than 40% of the world’s new solar and wind power capacity and has set a very ambitious target of deploying 1,200 gigawatts of renewable capacity by the end of this decade.”

Dr. Al Jaber highlighted that both the UAE and China were committed to diversifying their energy mix and pursuing pragmatic solutions to the climate crisis. He added: “The partnership between the UAE and China will be a key asset to the COP28 Presidency as we seek innovative solutions to boost industrial decarbonization, expand access to clean technologies, and ensure a just energy transition.”

Dr. Al Jaber met with clean tech entrepreneurs in a private sector roundtable and also addressed an audience at the Tsinghua University Institute for Carbon Neutrality, which covers energy, sustainability and climate-related disciplines. With the world needing to reduce global emissions by 43 percent by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, countries will need a range of technology solutions to meet their decarbonization goals, the COP28 President-Designate stated.

“We cannot accomplish our climate objectives without significant adoption and development of technology for decarbonization. We need to explore every available option. It is not renewables or hydrogen or nuclear or carbon capture or only using the least carbon intensive oil and gas. It is all of the above, plus new technologies yet to be invented, commercialized and deployed,” he stated.

“As a global leader and valued partner to emerging market economies, China is already making significant contributions to enhance South-South climate action. China’s support will be critical for us to deliver pragmatic, practical action on the road to COP28 and beyond.”

In his meeting with Chinese business and industrial leaders, Dr Al Jaber continued to advocate for investment in industrial decarbonization. He said: “Steel, cement, and aluminium, like energy or manufacturing, are the industries that run the world. We simply cannot stop using them. But we do have to find a way to make them more sustainable. We must reduce emissions, not progress. We have to work with industry leaders to bring them on board as partners, and to source the solutions together.”

Dr. Al Jaber also hailed the strength of the partnership between the UAE and China as a model of cooperation toward sustainable, low carbon growth and prosperity: “Partnerships will be key to making COP28 a COP of Action, and a COP of solidarity, unity and impact. We need China, as we need all countries and Parties, at the table to meet the Paris goal of keeping global temperatures from rising 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. We need a major course correction and a massive effort to reignite progress. And I look forward to working with China to deliver a successful COP28,” he stated.

Notes to Editors

COP28 UAE:

• COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
• As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
• The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2056955/COP28_China_Visit.jpg

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ –

• COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, attending a Joint Meeting of G7 Ministers of Climate, Energy and the Environment, in Sapporo, Japan, stressed the urgency to increase public finance to fight climate change and accelerate a pragmatic energy transition.
• Dr. Al Jaber called on G7 nations to help deliver a new deal on climate finance, to help kickstart progress on mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems, particularly in developing nations.
• “We must make a fairer deal for the Global South. Not enough is getting to the people and places that need it most. Developed countries first need to follow through on the 100 billion dollar pledge they made to developing countries over a decade ago.”
• “The fact is that climate finance is nowhere near available, affordable or accessible enough. We need fundamental reform of international financial institutions to achieve both climate and development goals.”
• The COP28 President-Designate called for “a massive course correction” to “ignite a transformational agenda that is pro-growth, pro-climate and leaves no-one behind.”
• On the global energy transition, Dr. Al Jaber said that the world needed to “triple renewable capacity by 2030 and increase it 6-fold by 2040″ in order to bring the goals of the Paris Agreement within reach. He emphasized the need for investments in hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear to help decarbonize heavy industry.
• Advocating for a pragmatic and well-managed energy transition, Dr. Al Jaber emphasized that the solutions we adopt should take into account differences between regions and countries and consider national circumstances, as long as we stay laser focused on reducing emissions.
• “I am counting on you to pursue the policies and take the actions needed to deliver the climate deal of the decade. Let’s keep 1.5 alive. Let’s ensure sustainable economic and social growth for all our people. And let’s keep our eye on the prize… and that is holding back emissions, not progress.”
• Dr. Sultan also met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss Japan’s Presidency of the G7 and close cooperation on climate finance and IFI reform in the run up to COP28.

COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, attending a Joint meeting of G7 Ministers of Climate, Energy and the Environment called on G7 nations to lead by example in making climate finance more accessible, more available, and more affordable, and to support efforts to accelerate a pragmatic energy transition.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Al Jaber noted that world was falling behind on climate commitments, necessitating a massive course correction across mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and finance. He reiterated that the COP28 Presidency was keen to work with the G7 to deliver transformational change across each workstream.

“To get where we need to go, everyone must pull in the same direction. We must replace polarization with partnership, division with determination. That is why I am calling for a COP of Action, a COP of Unity, a COP of Solidarity, and a COP for All. We must act together to ignite a transformational agenda that is pro-growth, pro-climate and leaves no-one behind.”

The Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment is part of a series of G7 Ministers’ meetings being held in Japan this month, under the country’s Presidency of the G7, and ahead of the Summit in Hiroshima in May. Dr. Al Jaber held bilateral meetings with ministers from India, Indonesia, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US, emphasizing the need for more climate finance to enable a just energy transition in emerging economies.

Dr. Al Jaber called on G7 nations to deliver a new deal on climate finance to help accelerate climate action, from mitigation and adaptation, to loss and damage.

“We must make a fairer deal for the Global South. Not enough is getting to the people and places that need it most. Developed countries first need to follow through on the 100 billion dollar pledge they made to developing countries over a decade ago.”

“On top of that, the world needs to triple the amount of money by 2030 that is available for clean tech investment, adaptation finance and a just energy transition in emerging and developing countries. The fact is that climate finance is nowhere near available, affordable or accessible enough. We need fundamental reform of international financial institutions to achieve both climate and development goals.”

The COP28 President-Designate emphasized that the world was at risk of missing the mark on the Paris Agreement and overshooting climate targets. He stressed the need for an accelerated, just, and pragmatic energy transition.

“We need to triple renewable capacity by 2030 and increase it 6-fold by 2040. We need smart government regulation to incentivize and commercialize viable alternatives for high-emitting sectors, like hydrogen and carbon capture technologies. And we need to continue to make the energies the world relies on today as low carbon intensive as possible, ensuring energy security is maintained during a well-managed transition.

“Let’s remember that emissions are the enemy, not energy. We need maximum energy, minimum emissions to ensure sustainable economic and social development.”

Adding that climate finance was an impediment to delivering action, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, who traveled to Japan from the World Bank’s Spring Meetings in Washington D.C, stressed the need to reform international financial institutions and deliver on the $100 billion promised to developing countries.

“The global south is still waiting for developed economies to make good on the 100-billion-dollar climate finance pledge made over a decade ago. And they are rightly calling for fundamental reforms of IFIs and MDBs.

The COP28 President-Designate underscored the need for solidarity and unity in driving climate action, adding, “The transformational progress we need will only happen through complete inclusivity.

No one can be on the side-lines. COP 28 must unite North and South, Governments and Industry, Science and Civil Society. I am counting on you to pursue the policies and take the actions needed to deliver the climate deal of the decade. Let’s keep 1.5 alive. Let’s ensure sustainable economic and social growth for all our people. And let’s keep our eye on the prize… and that is holding back emissions, not progress.”

Dr. Al Jaber also met in Tokyo this week with Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoshimasa Hayashi, for discussions on climate action. During the meetings, Dr. Al Jaber highlighted the importance of building on the strategic partnership between the UAE and Japan, and the two nations’ bilateral commitment to accelerating the energy transition, ahead of COP28.

The COP28 President-Designate recognized the key role that Japan has played in advancing climate action, through the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol, the first international treaty to set legally binding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions, in 1997.

“The Kyoto Protocol represents a historic landmark in the international fight against climate change – the awakening of the need for global climate action,” Dr. Al Jaber said. “Now, COP28 in the UAE must deliver that action. The Global Stocktake will show just how far off course we are on global progress, and we will need to respond with a plan of action that is inclusive, ambitious and bold. We need a COP of Action and a COP for All.”

Notes to Editors

COP28 UAE:

• COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector   representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
• As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake – a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
• The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to inclusive climate action.
• Meetings with government ministers included Shri Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy, India; Arifin Tasrif, Minister of Energy, Indonesia; Siti Nurbaya, Minister of the Environment, Indonesia; Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister of the Environment, India; Nishimura Akihiro, Minister of the Environment, Japan; Nishimura Yasutoshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Steven Guilbeault, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Canada; Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition, France, Christophe Bèchu, Minister of the Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, France; Steffi Lemke, Federal Minister for the Environment, Germany; Patrick Graichen, and the State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany.

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PANAMA CITY, March 2, 2023 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — On March 2, 2023, during the opening ceremony of the 2023 Our Ocean Conference, Laurentino Cortizo, President of Panama, and Milciades Concepción, Minister of Environment, signed the decree to substantially expand the limits of the Banco Volcán Area of Managed Resources (Banco Volcán AMR) to further protect and steward important marine ecosystems, endangered flora and fauna, and important fishing resources found within Panama’s territorial waters in the Caribbean Sea. The expansion increases the size of the Banco Volcán AMR from approximately 14,200 sq km to over 90,000 sq km, with at least half of the total zone designated as a fully protected marine area where no extractive or environmentally damaging activities will be allowed.

“Today I am proud to announce that Panama is not going to stop at just having 30% of its exclusive economic zone under some level of protection, but here, at this moment and in front of more than 400 people from all over the world, together with the President of the Republic of Panama, His Excellency Mr. Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, we have signed the executive decree that expands the Banco Volcán Area of Managed Resources; therefore, as of today, through this conference, we announce that the Republic of Panama will be conserving 54.26% of its exclusive economic zone.” - Milciades Concepción, Panama’s Minister of Environment.

With this act Panama achieves the protection of more than 50% of its total marine area, becoming one of the few nations globally to reach such a milestone—and the only one in Latin America—and significantly surpasses the goal of protecting at least 30% of the country’s marine area by 2030 (30×30), an international target recently adopted by roughly 190 countries during the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference and that scientists say is critical to help stop the global loss of biodiversity.

The decision follows a commitment made by the government of Panama during the United Nations Ocean Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2022, where Panama’s Minister of the Environment expressed Panama’s intention to expand its protected marine area from 30% to at least 40% before 2024. Subsequently, in July 2022, the Minister of the Environment requested the support of the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research (STRI) to conduct scientific research necessary to expand the boundaries of the Banco Volcán protected area and prepare its management plan and zoning, and thus contribute to the regional effort to protect “this great marine ecosystem.” Other organizations, including the Blue Nature Alliance, MigraMar, Mission Blue, The Wyss Foundation and SeaLegacy also offered their expertise across a range of areas, providing scientific, technical, policy and communications support to help achieve this ambitious marine protection effort, the first of its kind in Latin America.

“Panama’s leadership in expanding Banco Volcán has demonstrated that commitment and action on marine conservation can go beyond the standard target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean. We hope the world, and particularly other Caribbean countries, will follow Panama’s lead and protect at least 30% of their national waters—or increase their ambition beyond that commitment,” said Joaquín Labougle, Blue Nature Alliance regional lead for the Caribbean and Latin America. “The Blue Nature Alliance, with other partners, is pleased to support Panama’s leadership in protecting the marine environment for the benefit of people and nature and remains ready to collaborate with other countries on large-scale ocean conservation.”

The Banco Volcán AMR was first established by executive decree in 2015 following the conclusion of a technical study that revealed the area as having unique natural characteristics. However, its original extension did not support connectivity with other existing or anticipated protected areas of the surrounding countries in the Caribbean Sea region. A new technical study conducted by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute determined that expanding the Banco Volcán AMR is necessary to help build resilience within marine ecosystems against the effects of human pressure and the climate crisis, to protect marine fauna and the deep-water environments of Panama and the Southwestern Caribbean, and to support the connectivity of migratory routes that are critical to the survival of pelagic and marine-coastal species.

“We strived to obtain the best scientific evidence to achieve this expansion and thus guarantee the smooth implementation of the marine protected area, which will provide benefits for the coastal communities of the region and will support biological connectivity with other oceanic and continental marine protected areas with the rest of the coastal-marine zone of the Caribbean Sea. Collaborating with the government of the Republic of Panama, we have once again achieved an example of scientific diplomacy.” - Hector Guzmán, Senior Staff Scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and a member of the MigraMar network.

The expansion of the Banco Volcán AMR encompasses four submarine ridges, recognized as aggregation sites for pelagic species, as well as deep plains and geological formations linked to high biodiversity that includes highly migratory and endangered pelagic species. The expanded Banco Volcán AMR is important for the protection of 120 species of pelagic fish, including three species considered to be critically endangered: the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), the great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) and the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus); and five species considered to be endangered, including the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), two sharks associated with great depths (Centrophorus granulosus and Centrophorus tessellatus) and the giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris). Nevertheless, the authors of the technical study to support the expansion of the Banco Volcán AMR emphasize the need for increased scientific research in the region, stating that until more studies can be completed, the total number of species must be regarded as a considerable underestimate.

“Congratulations to the beautiful nation of Panamá, President Laurentino Cortizo and Minister Concepción, for expanding yet another marine protected area, this time in the Caribbean Sea, and helping accelerate regional collaboration to safeguard critical marine ecosystems. With the expansion of Banco Volcán, Panamá will now protect over 50% of its waters, and is leading the world in ocean diplomacy, science, and conservation. We are deeply inspired by Panama’s commitment to protect and restore our ocean and hope to see world leaders following their ambitious example,” - Cristina Mittermeier, co-founder, SeaLegacy.

The expansion will also support connectivity with other marine protected areas in the Caribbean Sea, helping advance regional collaboration with Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Jamaica, and Costa Rica to help stop the loss of marine biodiversity. It will also help promote increased scientific research to generate enhanced knowledge about marine biodiversity, migration patterns, conservation status, and the effects of human activities including climate change. Ultimately, the expansion will help build a network of marine protected areas across the Caribbean Sea in close partnership with neighboring nations.

“Once again, the American continent continues to show its leadership in protecting the ocean, however, Panama has set the bar quite high, with an indisputable legacy and the necessary response to the planetary crisis we’re experiencing today. - Max Bello, Ocean Policy Advisor, Mission Blue.

By taking this action, Panama once again demonstrates its commitment to the protection of marine biodiversity and the responsible management of marine resources, serving as a visionary Blue Leader committed to highly and fully protecting the ocean and to making decisions based on the latest scientific research. Panama hopes that its leadership in the protection of the marine environment will accelerate regional and global collaboration to catalyze the conservation of the ocean and to advance the implementation of large-scale ocean conservation efforts.

About Blue Nature Alliance
The Blue Nature Alliance is a global partnership that collaborates with governments, NGOs, local and Indigenous communities, scientists, and other organizations to catalyze and accelerate large-scale ocean conservation. The Alliance supports the marine conservation work of more than 60 partners in approximately 25 sites across the globe, in all five oceans and the high seas. It was founded and is led by Conservation International, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Global Environment Facility, Minderoo Foundation, and the Rob & Melani Walton Foundation. Learn more at https://bluenaturealliance.org.

About SeaLegacy
Founded in 2014 by the world’s leading conservation photographers and explorers, Cristina Mittermeier, Paul Nicklen, and Andy Mann, SeaLegacy is the global marketing, education, and communication agency for the ocean. At the nexus of climate action and sustainable solutions, we create strategies and content that instill hope and move audiences into action. SeaLegacy’s mission is to use strategic communications at the intersection of art, science, and conservation to protect and rewild the ocean within our lifetimes. Guided by science and driven by purpose, SeaLegacy brings ocean stories and solutions to light for the benefit of biodiversity, humanity, and climate. www.sealegacy.org

About Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute was founded with the purpose of increasing and sharing knowledge about the past, present and future of tropical ecosystems and their relevance to human welfare. This work began in Panama in 1910, when the Smithsonian led one of the world’s first major environmental impact studies, which surveyed and cataloged the flora and fauna of the lowland tropical forests that would be flooded with the creation of the Panama Canal. A century later, the Smithsonian in Panama is a standard-setting global platform for groundbreaking research on tropical forests and marine ecosystems and their astounding biodiversity. Today, STRI employs 40 staff scientists and hosts some 1,400 scientific visitors every year, from undergrads and interns to postdoctoral investigators and tenured research associates. Together, they collaborate on 350 running research projects and publish more than 400 peer reviewed articles in scientific journals every year. The research is not only shared widely around the global scientific community, but also reaches policymakers in Panama and beyond, receives media coverage around the globe, and is the foundation of an outreach and training program that reaches hundreds of teachers and tens of thousands of schoolchildren every year.

About Mission Blue
Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas – Hope Spots. Under Dr. Earle’s leadership, the Mission Blue team implements communications campaigns that elevate Hope Spots to the world stage through documentaries, social media, traditional media and innovative tools like Esri ArcGIS. Mission Blue also embarks on regular oceanic expeditions that shed light on these vital ecosystems and build support for their protection.

About the Wyss Foundation
The Wyss Foundation is a private, charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land. To confront the global conservation crisis, the Wyss Foundation launched a $1.5 billion campaign called the Wyss Campaign for Nature. The campaign’s goal is to help conserve 30% of the planet in a natural state by the year 2030 by creating and expanding protected areas, implementing international conservation targets, and inspiring conservation action around the world.

About MigraMar
MigraMar is the leading scientific authority in migratory species research in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). Over the last fifteen years, MigraMar have identified critical areas where migratory species are more vulnerable, including feeding and breeding grounds, and areas where seasonal migrations occur. These results have informed governments and stakeholders on the functioning and connectivity of marine protected areas (MPAs), and have supported decisions to improve protection for migratory species across the region. MigraMar has delivered scientific evidence to support the creation of new marine reserves and expansion of existing reserves. The total area of MPAs has increased fourfold, from 156,000 km2 in 2010 to 630,000 km2 in 2022, providing larger grounds for migratory species to move without risk of capture. Our Swimways Initiative has been adopted by national authorities and is currently used as the binding tissue for regional governmental collaborations.

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