emirates7 - Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, delivered his final address as COP28 President on COP29's opening day in Azerbaijan, marking the conclusion of a transformative term defined by substantial advancements in climate action.
In his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber urged delegates to “once more that we can unite, act, and achieve” throughout the two-week summit in Baku.
He referenced the "historic UAE Consensus" as a major achievement of COP28, stating, “We accomplished what many deemed unachievable.” At the formal handover ceremony to incoming President Mukhtar Babayev, he noted that COP28 had demonstrated the power of multilateralism to drive meaningful climate progress. “In the end, persistence overcame skepticism, and your hard work yielded several historic achievements.”
Dr. Al Jaber emphasized that, despite COP29 taking place in a complex global context, “the UAE will always favor partnerships over polarization, dialogue over division, and peace over provocation.”
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve as COP28 President, he thanked President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and UAE leadership for their support in delivering the “groundbreaking UAE Consensus.”
The UAE Consensus, first introduced at COP28, has become a foundational guide for global climate goals, including agreements on a fair energy transition, tripling renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency, and halting deforestation by 2030.
“Progress did not stop when the gavel came down on the UAE Consensus,” he added. Since COP28 concluded, initiatives launched under the Consensus have gained momentum. Notably, 55 companies, representing 44% of global oil production, have signed the Oil & Gas Decarbonisation Charter (OGDC), which he described as the “most comprehensive decarbonisation partnership in the private sector.”
He highlighted the UAE’s recent climate and energy summit, which brought together industry leaders in climate, energy, and AI, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can boost economic growth while reducing emissions. “When sectors join forces, we can foster socio-economic progress and transform declarations into decisive action,” he stated.
Dr. Al Jaber also noted financial progress, with the Philippines selected to host the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, which was launched and capitalized at COP28. To date, over $850 million has been pledged to the fund. Additionally, ALTÉRRA, the world’s largest climate-focused investment fund launched at COP28, has allocated $6.5 billion to impact investors, setting a model for future investment.
Dr. Al Jaber emphasized the need for COP29 to establish a New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, “strong enough to fully implement the UAE Consensus.”
Reflecting on COP28’s accomplishments, he highlighted the formation of the COP Presidencies Troika, a partnership between the COP28, COP29, and COP30 Presidencies, which he called a "momentum mechanism" to further global climate commitments.
In his closing message to incoming COP29 President Babayev, Dr. Al Jaber reminded the delegation, “Our legacy will be defined by actions, not words… Let results endure beyond rhetoric, and remember, we are what we do, not what we say.”
In his remarks, Dr. Al Jaber urged delegates to “once more that we can unite, act, and achieve” throughout the two-week summit in Baku.
He referenced the "historic UAE Consensus" as a major achievement of COP28, stating, “We accomplished what many deemed unachievable.” At the formal handover ceremony to incoming President Mukhtar Babayev, he noted that COP28 had demonstrated the power of multilateralism to drive meaningful climate progress. “In the end, persistence overcame skepticism, and your hard work yielded several historic achievements.”
Dr. Al Jaber emphasized that, despite COP29 taking place in a complex global context, “the UAE will always favor partnerships over polarization, dialogue over division, and peace over provocation.”
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve as COP28 President, he thanked President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and UAE leadership for their support in delivering the “groundbreaking UAE Consensus.”
The UAE Consensus, first introduced at COP28, has become a foundational guide for global climate goals, including agreements on a fair energy transition, tripling renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency, and halting deforestation by 2030.
“Progress did not stop when the gavel came down on the UAE Consensus,” he added. Since COP28 concluded, initiatives launched under the Consensus have gained momentum. Notably, 55 companies, representing 44% of global oil production, have signed the Oil & Gas Decarbonisation Charter (OGDC), which he described as the “most comprehensive decarbonisation partnership in the private sector.”
He highlighted the UAE’s recent climate and energy summit, which brought together industry leaders in climate, energy, and AI, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can boost economic growth while reducing emissions. “When sectors join forces, we can foster socio-economic progress and transform declarations into decisive action,” he stated.
Dr. Al Jaber also noted financial progress, with the Philippines selected to host the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, which was launched and capitalized at COP28. To date, over $850 million has been pledged to the fund. Additionally, ALTÉRRA, the world’s largest climate-focused investment fund launched at COP28, has allocated $6.5 billion to impact investors, setting a model for future investment.
Dr. Al Jaber emphasized the need for COP29 to establish a New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, “strong enough to fully implement the UAE Consensus.”
Reflecting on COP28’s accomplishments, he highlighted the formation of the COP Presidencies Troika, a partnership between the COP28, COP29, and COP30 Presidencies, which he called a "momentum mechanism" to further global climate commitments.
In his closing message to incoming COP29 President Babayev, Dr. Al Jaber reminded the delegation, “Our legacy will be defined by actions, not words… Let results endure beyond rhetoric, and remember, we are what we do, not what we say.”