US, UAE say they’ll invest in Middle East decarbonization

The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Monday that they would help finance decarbonization in the Middle East region and the global community at large. 

“We will also cooperate closely to make new investments in financing decarbonization across both the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the wider international community and help the most vulnerable adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change,” said the statement, which was attributed to the two nations, rather than any specific individuals.

“We will particularly focus our joint efforts on renewable energy, hydrogen, industrial decarbonization, carbon capture and storage, nature-based solutions, and low-carbon urban design,” they said. 

The remarks came after a recent regional dialogue that was part of U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry’s trip to the UAE. 

Kerry was among climate leaders from 10 countries that said in a joint statement Monday that they would work to “accelerate climate action.”

“Our countries, gathered in Abu Dhabi under the auspices of the United Arab Emirates, are committed to accelerate climate action,” they said in a joint statement.

The other leaders were climate officials from the UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan and Oman. 

“In this critical decade for climate action, we believe that investments in renewable energy, ecosystem-based approaches, nature-based solutions, climate-smart agriculture, carbon capture technologies, and other low-carbon solutions will support sustainable economic growth and job creation,” the statement said. 

“We also recognize the importance of adaptation and the co-benefits of building resilience to climate change,” it continued. 

The trip to the UAE came before Kerry was slated to head to India, which, like the U.S., is one of the world’s largest emitters. The envoy has repeatedly stressed the need for countries to raise ambitions for carbon reduction under the Paris Agreement, as they are slated to update their commitments ahead of a November summit in Glasgow.

The Biden administration has said it would announce its updated commitments ahead of a virtual Earth Day conference it is hosting.