UAE in climate talks ahead of international forum in Paris

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Director of Energy and Climate Change, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and chairman of Masdar, and Majid Al Suwaidi, lead climate change negotiator for the UAE at the climatShow more

PARIS // The UAE delegation to the climate change conference COP21 was locked in negotiation rooms in Paris on Friday as they look create a framework to reduce global emissions and warming to less than 2C by 2050.

Majid Al Suwaidi, lead climate change negotiator for the UAE, said the fact that now, more than ever, the negotiations are trying to strike a balance between allowing developing countries to develop freely while also making more developed countries carry a bigger responsibility.

“The problems are all related to how you differentiate the responsibilities between countries developed and developing,” he said.

Mr Al Suwaidi said that the final agreement from Paris should reach a consensus while also taking into account countries’ specific circumstances.

“We have to understand that everyone has different abilities,” he said “For instance, us in the UAE we have solar power but we don’t have hydro or other resources, our environment is difficult and that makes our contribution different than, for example, Switzerland’s.”

The COP21 forum takes place on Monday and Tuesday at the Stade de France in Paris.