Amid tensions, COP28 official hopes climate change can be opportunity to get countries together

Mumbai: Amid tensions in the Middle East, a top organiser of the upcoming COP28 summit in Dubai has hoped that the pressing issue of climate change can be an opportunity for people to come together.

Stating that India will play a critical role in the summit, starting later this month, Majid Al Suwaidi, the director general of the summit, said the global community's interest is very high on participation in the two-week event.

When asked about the Israel-Palestine conflict which has divided the world and its ramifications for the summit, Suwaidi said he hopes climate change to be a unifier.

"I think that climate change lends itself as an opportunity to bring people together," he told PTI during a visit to India's financial capital.

"Every opportunity we have to bring leaders together in a space where they can discuss and talk to each other, I think is a concrete contribution to global unity,” he added.

Reminding that the world has affirmed its commitment to capping global warming, and has not been able to achieve the 1.5 degree target, Suwaidi said the impact of rising temperatures will be disastrous for the entire world and the changes do not get influenced by political boundaries.

"It (the summit) can be a really powerful moment to bring everybody together around a common cause and hopefully help us to see that multilateralism can deliver good results,” Suwaidi said.

Leaders attending the summit can communicate about climate change and and "any other issues they wish to discuss", he said.

Suwaidi said the consensus at the G20 under India's presidency is a great launchpad for the COP28, and UAE is hoping to carry forward on the momentum.

He said the COP28 has the highest number of heads of states attending, Suwaidi said the conference will be "one of the most significant COPs in the climate change story".

India will play an important role in delivering a consensus, he said.

"Role of India is critical in the discussions you know, India represents such a large part of the global population, but also the large part of the global emissions," he added.

The organisers have chosen for key ideas as the pillars for the summit, which include work on energy transition, climate finance, people's lives and livelihoods, and, inclusivity.

Conceding that the world has not delivered on the USD 100 billion climate finance promise made 14 years ago, Suwaidi said efforts will be undertaken to make progress on the same.

He said the consensus reached on institutionalising the loss and damage fund ahead of the summit is a key milestone.

However, when asked about its voluntary nature, the lack of a mention of an amount countries contribute and if this will make it reach the same fate as the USD 100 billion commitment, Suwaidi said all the factors are outside of the COP28 organisers' purview.

"We're mandated to deliver the operationalization of the loss and damage fund and its funding arrangements through the outcome of the technical committee. There is no figure set because that is not the part of the mandate to deliver," he said.