- [Narrator] On the journey towards net zero
and perhaps even beyond.
We're moving beyond passive steps towards progress,
to step up as leaders on the world stage
in securing a livable future before it's too late.
- Climate change is an existential threat
to the health of our planet and human wellbeing.
Therefore, the Paris Agreement set a target
to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees
above pre-industrial levels.
However, current metrics show
that we are far off target
and will likely overshoot the 1.5 degree limit
by 2030 already.
Beyond this limit,
the risk of breaching critical planetary tipping points
rises significantly.
Now, this will impact all of us,
but we can still prevent the worst
by doing the right things now and at scale.
Limiting warming requires rapid, deep,
and mostly immediate emission reductions
across all sectors and regions.
The time to take bold action is now.
Will the GCC follow or lead?
COP 28 in the UAE is an unmissable opportunity
to answer that question.
COPs have become the premier multilateral forum
for leader-level discussions on climate.
This now involves greater
private sector engagement, policy coordination,
and tracking and implementation.
In short, more action.
COP 27 last year demonstrated this,
delivering elevated concerns for the Global South,
a sophisticated finance discussion,
and unexpected progress on loss
and damage from climate change.
However, parties at COP 27 were not successful
in increasing national ambitions,
and little was done to close the policy gap.
COP 28 must now deliver a response
to the challenges we face.
We will need to see the conclusion
of the first ever global stock-take,
measuring our progress against goals of the Paris Agreement.
It will show that we are off track,
and it must deliver a landmark response.
Several other topics are key in this year's agenda,
including how to fast track the global energy transition,
how to strengthen system resilience,
and how to mobilize climate finance at scale.
The stakes are high, and visibility is high too.
Ninety percent of global GDP is now under net zero pledges,
and climate is a defining economic and geopolitical issue.
As a result,
COP 28 will command the attention
and attendance of global leaders.
Tens of thousands of attendants
will put the UAE and the GCC in the spotlight.
It is an unmatched chance to show leadership
on organizational, national, and international levels.
Leaders can future-proof their countries and businesses,
attract international investments,
and claim first-mover advantage
with support from a global movement.
By seizing these opportunities
with bold ambitions and actions,
they can stand up as prominent players
in redirecting the trajectory of society and our planet.
- [Narrator] This is a decisive year in a decisive decade.
The world will be watching the UAE, the region,
and all of us at the conference
as we make this a COP that will make history.
The future depends on it.