The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged $150 million in new funding for water security solutions across fragile and vulnerable communities.
The announcement was made during the 2023 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
The UAE’s COP28 presidency had made it very clear that it would “drive water up the climate agenda” by focusing on freshwater, cities, and food at the summit in Dubai.
The climate summit called on water experts to contribute to the first “global stocktake”, a key part of COP28, where countries will assess progress toward dealing with the challenges of global warming.
COP28 has become the largest UN climate summit to date, boasting an impressive registration of 80,000 participants, and notably, this year marks the first time their affiliations have been disclosed.
Compared to previous summits, including COP27 in Egypt, where only 49,000 people were accredited, this year’s numbers are significantly higher.
Within this vast gathering, around 23,500 individuals represent official government teams, while an additional 27,208 include policy experts, academics, representatives from professional organizations, and senior executives from major oil companies.
Although these non-official delegates have limited access to the actual negotiations, their presence has raised concerns about the influence of big business on the climate talks.
Notable figures attending COP28 in Dubai include Bill Gates and Antoine Arnault, son of Bernard Arnault, the second wealthiest person globally, following Elon Musk, according to Forbes magazine.
The accreditations list extends to over 14,000 organizations, spanning from environmental advocacy groups to industry lobbyists.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on fossil fuel companies to refrain from exerting undue influence and using legal tactics to obstruct climate progress, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change.
Additionally, organizers have reported that approximately 400,000 people have registered for day passes to the expansive “green zone” surrounding the talks at the Dubai Expo 2020 site, which has been transformed into a significant showcase for businesses and innovations in the environmental sector.
