Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to lead White House climate talks for UAE

US President Joe Biden convenes talks that will bring together leaders from 40 countries

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, will lead the climate talks for the UAE. Twitter

See also: US calls Gulf oil exporters ‘part of the solution’ to climate crisis

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid will lead US President Joe Biden's upcoming climate summit for the UAE.

The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai will attend the online Leaders Summit on Climate talks on April 22 and 23.

The White House convened the high-level meeting, which will bring together leaders from 40 countries. The UAE is one of two countries from the region invited to attend.

The event comes only a few weeks after US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry visited the UAE for the Mena Regional Climate Dialogue, which was held in Abu Dhabi.

The discussions focused on advancing global action to halt climate change in the GCC.

During Mr Kerry's first visit to the Middle East since being appointed to the role, he vowed to swiftly make up for America's "lost years" in the fight to protect the environment.

The UAE's commitment to climate targets

Last December, the UAE became the first country in the region to commit to an economy-wide reduction in emissions when it submitted its second Nationally Determined Contribution to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The document outlines the country’s enhanced climate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23.5 per cent compared to business as usual for the year 2030.

This translates into absolute emission reduction of about 70 million tonnes.

The UAE’s efforts to reduce emissions include increasing reliance on clean energy, boosting energy efficiency, expanding capacity for carbon capture, promoting sustainable agriculture and implementing environmentally friendly waste management.

It is hoped the Leaders Summit will help to build momentum in a crucial year for climate progress.

The UN Climate Change Conference (Cop26) will take place in Glasgow in November.

In pictures: US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry visits the UAE