In a critical address at the opening of Pre-COP in Baku, Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President, called on nations to uphold the UAE Consensus as a roadmap to realizing the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. With COP29 just weeks away, Al Jaber emphasized the need for global unity in addressing climate change and reinforcing the commitments made in Dubai last year.
“The UAE Consensus represents the defining roadmap for achieving the ambition of the Paris Agreement,” Al Jaber stated. “As we gather against a backdrop of continuing geopolitical conflict, let us again find common cause across every pillar of the climate agenda. What we delivered in Dubai, let us build on in Baku. Let us once again unite, act, and deliver.”
Pre-COP serves as a preparatory gathering for ministers and negotiators ahead of COP29, set to take place in Azerbaijan next month.
During the session, Al Jaber reiterated that while several issues remain unresolved, finance remains at the forefront of the agenda.
“Finance was a cornerstone of the UAE Consensus,” Al Jaber pointed out. He emphasized the importance of a “triple A” framework—making climate finance more available, accessible, and affordable. The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance, expected to be adopted at COP29, “must provide the means to implement the UAE Consensus,” he said, stressing that the funds should focus on the most vulnerable populations to help them build resilience and recover from climate impacts.
Al Jaber also called for urgency in finalizing negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which deals with carbon markets. He urged, “We need robust, high-integrity carbon markets that drive investments in both mitigation and adaptation—and we need them now.”
Addressing the balance between mitigation and adaptation, Al Jaber encouraged all parties to meet the agreed goal of doubling adaptation finance and to integrate fully-funded strategies into their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). He highlighted the UAE Framework on Global Climate Resilience, adopted at COP28, as a practical approach that “connects the dots between sectors to protect nature, lives, and livelihoods.”
When it comes to mitigation, Al Jaber was clear: “Let’s not reinvent the wheel. The UAE Consensus is the road back to Paris.” He stressed the importance of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) aligning with existing agreements to keep the 1.5°C target within reach, noting that NDCs must cover all greenhouse gases and be economy-wide.
Citing analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Al Jaber underscored that the world could achieve two-thirds of its Paris-aligned targets simply by meeting the UAE Consensus goals of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency. He emphasized that while the world is set to add more than 5,500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, tripling investments to $1.5 trillion annually is essential to meet this goal.
“These investments are worth making because the goals of the UAE Consensus make climate sense and economic sense,” Al Jaber concluded. “In fact, the UAE Consensus just makes common sense.”
Looking ahead, Al Jaber highlighted that the collaboration between the Presidencies of COP28, COP29, and COP30—known as the COP Presidencies Troika—will continue to advocate for the UAE Consensus across multilateral platforms, including the G7 and G20. He called on all nations to maximize cooperation in the upcoming round of NDCs, due in February, ensuring they are ambitious, balanced, and have implementation at their core.
“Through enhanced international cooperation, we can ensure that equity is embedded in climate progress and that we leave no one behind,” Al Jaber affirmed.
