Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The world is laying catch-up in the efforts to keep 1.5 alive, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the UAE, said at the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global initiative championed by the UAE to accelerate sustainable development.

President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and a number of world leaders attended the opening ceremony of ADSW, hosted by Masdar. The opening ceremony was attended by Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea; Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan; Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Republic of Seychelles; João Manuel Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola; as well as leaders and heads of the governments of other foreign states.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to ADSW 2023, which will explore issues and aim to find solutions to the challenges the world faces as it looks to a more sustainable future for future generations.

He stressed that ADSW is a global platform, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to convening the international community and ensuring collaboration in driving sustainable economic and social development.

UAE President said that the UAE is making intensive efforts to find feasible and pragmatic solutions to climate change issues, stressing that its strategic initiative to achieve Net Zero by 2050 was a natural progression of the comprehensive approach to sustainability the company has followed since its inception, inspired by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s vision. The UAE’s Founding Father laid the groundwork for building a prosperous and sustainable future through this commitment to protecting nature and preserving the environment.

President stated that ADSW this year is an essential step towards the UAE hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). The country’s selection to host COP28 reflected the UAE’s continued efforts to promote practical climate action, sustainable economic development, and progress towards a desired global goal, he said.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, a member of the UAE Federal Cabinet, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the UAE said that despite the progress that the world is making, we need to go much, much faster. “We’re playing catch-up in our efforts to keep 1.5 alive,” he stated.

“We need to reverse emissions while moving economies forward, enable an inclusive and just transition that leaves no-one behind. That’s why we are determined to make COP 28 a COP for All, a COP of Action. A COP where the Global North and Global South really listen to each other. A COP where we move from goals to getting it done across mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.  And a COP where we deliver a new deal on climate finance,” the UAE Minister said.

“The task ahead is massive, but so is the opportunity. The road to net zero represents the biggest market transformation with the greatest economic promise since the first industrial revolution. A low carbon pathway to a high growth destination with inclusive progress for all,” Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber added.

ADSW 2023, hosted by the UAE’s clean energy powerhouse Masdar, features a series of key events throughout the week that seek to engage all sections of society. It will be held under the theme of ‘United on Climate Action Towards COP28’ and will convene heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, investors, youth, and entrepreneurs for a series of high-level sessions focused on key priorities for sustainable development ahead of the UN conference.

Delegates at ADSW will look to set global climate agenda priorities for COP28 – which will cement the UAE’s position as a bridge connecting the global North, South, East and West – and will discuss the need for all groups across society to be engaged, and determine how to leverage outcomes from the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement.