Latest news with #Balalaa
Gulf Today
18-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
NDCs must serve as national development blueprints: UAE
Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Foreign Minister for Energy and Sustainability, led the United Arab Emirates (UAE) delegation to the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, alongside ministers and climate leaders from around the world, to advance COP28's outputs and set the course towards COP30. Held from May 7-8, the meeting represents an important milestone, marking 10 years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the halfway point through the critical decade to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach. Balalaa represented the COP28 Presidency in the Troika High-Level Dialogue on Long-Term Development Planning, co-chaired by the COP28, COP29, and COP30 Presidencies. The session explored how Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) can serve as strategic instruments for sustainable development, investment mobilisation, and institutional resilience. 'As the initiators of the Troika Roadmap to Mission 1.5, the UAE firmly believes that NDCs must move beyond pledges. They must serve as national development blueprints – integrating investment, inclusion, and resilience,' said Balalaa during his intervention. On the sidelines of the meeting, Balalaa held several bilateral meetings with key partners, including the Minister of Climate Change of kingdom of Norway, Deputy Danish Minister of Energy, Climate, and Utilities; Denmark's Minister of Environment and Gender Equality. He also held several meetings with CEOs of private sector water & renewable energy companies such as Vestas the pioneer company in wind turbines, Copenhagen infrastructure partners (CIP), and AVK, one of the largest holding company in water solutions. In these engagements, Balalaa reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to leading the implementation of the Baku Climate Unity Pact, which includes initializing the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and advancing the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). Furthermore, the UAE emphasized its role as a climate finance pioneer, referencing its USD 100 million contributions to both the FRLD and the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Fund, as well as the launch of the $30 billion ALTÉRRA platform to unlock transformational finance and catalyse private sector engagement. In addition, Balalaa highlighted the UAE's commitment to sustainable development through its co-hosting of the United Nations Water Conference 2026 (UNWC) alongside Senegal. This pivotal event will link water security, climate resilience, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The UAE views water action as inseparable from climate action and remains committed to driving global cooperation for a resilient and sustainable future for generations to come. This participation reflects the UAE's ongoing diplomatic efforts to build international support for global climate action, following the signing of the historic 'UAE Consensus,' reached at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), held in Expo City in Dubai in 2023. These endeavors aim to accelerate progress across adaptation, energy transition, and resilience in the lead-up to COP30, which will be held in Belém, Brazil the coming November. Recently, Balalaa led the UAE delegation at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, where he participated at the annual meeting's high-level sessions, alongside the Federal Chancellor of Germany and several ministers. He also held a series of ministerial meetings in Berlin, reaffirming the UAE's commitment to international cooperation across climate action, energy transition, water resource management and sustainable development. During his visit, Balalaa met several prominent German and international officials, including Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action; Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; Eva Kracht, Director-General for International Affairs at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; and Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). WAM
Al Etihad
02-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
UAE hosts World Bank's Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Steering Committee Meeting
2 May 2025 18:05 ABU DHABI (WAM)The UAE hosted the World Bank's Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Steering Committee Meeting on April 29-30, 2025 at the Abu Dhabi Energy high-level meeting convened over 40 participants representing 12 countries and more than 25 international organisations, including ministerial delegations, national oil companies, multilateral development banks, and technical experts from across the global climate and energy UAE, as a founding member to the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership and the largest contributor with a $100 million pledge, reaffirmed its global leadership in tackling one of the most potent and short-lived climate pollutants: has over 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide in the short term, making its reduction one of the fastest and most effective ways to slow global warming. GFMR exists to confront this challenge by funding high-impact projects that eliminate routine flaring, and reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations year's Steering Committee Meeting in Abu Dhabi served as both a checkpoint and a launchpad, reviewing the impact of existing interventions while shaping the next generation of financing, governance, and technology Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, and UAE Board Member for GFMR, led the UAE participation, which included senior representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), who championed calls for transparent funding, equitable regional allocations, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as AI-based methane detection and blockchain verification Balalaa underscored the UAE's conviction that methane mitigation is both a climate necessity and an economic opportunity. The UAE is committed to ensuring that the GFMR remains a high-impact, transparent, and future-proof initiative, aligned with the UAE Consensus and the goals of the Paris its part, ADNOC has announced the investment of $23 billion in landmark decarbonisation projects, supported by advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, and is working towards near-zero methane emissions and zero routine flaring by UAE also announced its intent to propose a dedicated High-Impact Methane Regions Program at the next GFMR Steering Committee, aimed at accelerating implementation in underfunded geographies with the highest potential for rapid emissions reductions. This milestone meeting builds on the momentum of the UAE's climate diplomacy leadership, reinforcing its role as a driving force in global methane abatement.
Sharjah 24
28-03-2025
- Business
- Sharjah 24
UAE joins high-level sessions at Petersberg Climate Dialogue
Ministerial meetings and reaffirmation of UAE's commitment Balalaa held a series of ministerial meetings in Berlin, reaffirming the UAE's commitment to international cooperation in climate action, energy transition, water resource management, and sustainable development. Key discussions with prominent officials During his visit, Balalaa met with prominent German and international officials, including Stefan Wenzel, Jochen Flasbarth, Eva Kracht, and Simon Stiell. The discussions focused on enhancing multilateral climate efforts, advancing COP28 outcomes, and exploring cooperation opportunities between the UAE and Germany in clean energy and climate finance. Addressing the 2026 UN Water Conference The meetings also addressed preparations for the UAE's co-hosting of the United Nations Water Conference in 2026, emphasizing water's critical role in achieving climate goals and boosting resilience to climate change. UAE's commitment to global climate action Abdulla Balalaa stated that the UAE is committed to working closely with global partners to accelerate climate action and the energy transition. He highlighted the importance of water in enhancing resilience to climate change and ensuring natural resource security. UAE's leadership in global climate diplomacy The visit comes as part of the UAE's leadership in global climate diplomacy following the successful hosting of COP28 and its ongoing efforts to drive progress toward climate neutrality. The meetings reinforced the UAE's role as a strategic partner in international sustainability, energy, and water resource management.
Hi Dubai
10-03-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
UAE Strengthens EU Partnerships in Renewable Energy and Water Sustainability
Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, completed a productive two-day visit to Brussels, from March 6-7, to meet with senior officials and stakeholders in the energy and water sectors. The visit underscored the UAE's commitment to advancing its collaboration with the European Union (EU) in key areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water resilience. Balalaa's meetings came on the heels of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (UNWC26) Organisational Session in New York and coincided with the EU's Ocean Days. During his visit, he was invited to participate in the EU's consultative process on reviewing the EU's water resilience strategy. At the consultative session, Balalaa emphasized the UAE's priorities for the 2026 UNWC and urged the international community to contribute to scalable and inclusive solutions for global water challenges. He also highlighted the UAE's ongoing commitment to advancing climate action, energy transition, and water resilience in collaboration with the EU, aligning efforts made during the COP28 conference in Dubai with future global sustainability goals. The discussions also involved strengthening ties with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to explore investment opportunities in clean energy, infrastructure, and water sustainability. Balalaa met with several EU officials, including Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy, and Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General for Climate Action, to reinforce the UAE's role in driving global climate adaptation and sustainability initiatives. The visit set the stage for increased cooperation ahead of pivotal international events such as the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in France and the 2026 UN Water Conference. News Source: Emirates News Agency
Zawya
10-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UAE, EU strengthen cooperation on energy, climate, water in lead-up to COP30, 2026 UN Water Conference
BRUSSELS: Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, concluded a two-day trip, from the 6-7 March, to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, where he met with senior officials and stakeholders in the energy and water sectors. During the meetings, Abdulla Balalaa reaffirmed the UAE's close partnership with the EU, focusing on aligning efforts, cooperation and achieving progress in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency and water resilience. Balalaa's visit followed the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (UNWC26) Organisational Session in New York and coincides with EU Ocean Days in Brussels. During the visit, he was invited to take part in the EU's consultative process on reviewing the EU's water resilience strategy. At the consultative process, Balalaa highlighted the launch of the 2026 UNWC process, outlined the UAE's priorities for the conference and invited the international community to take part in working towards advancing innovative, inclusive and scalable solutions to water challenges. He further affirmed the UAE's commitment to deepening its cooperation with the EU in advancing climate action, energy transition, water resilience, and global sustainability. He also highlighted that discussions in Brussels were instrumental in driving forward the climate adaptation and energy related commitments made at the 28thConference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which was held in Dubai in 2023, to ensure strong alignment with the EU ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025, COP30, and the 2026 UN Water Conference. The visit included meetings with a number of EU officials and the European Investment Bank (EIB) reinforcing bilateral relations to explore the potential to expand investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and water sustainability. Balalaa met with European Commission representatives: Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy; Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of Environment; Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General Climate Action; and Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in addition to representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS). The discussions focused on advancing joint efforts in water sustainability in the lead-up to 2026 UNWC, broader climate adaptation strategies, mitigating climate change, and enhancing cooperation ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in France.
