< Previous50 CEO MIDDLE EAST DECEMBER 2023 FINAL THOUGHTS THE ROAD TO COP28: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS CLIMATE SUMMITS? Since it fi rst took place in 1995, COP has successfully formed hundreds of vital projects and movements while ensuring a greater understanding of climate change ith the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) commencing at the end of this month, delegations from all over the world are preparing for what is set to be another pivotal climate summit. From 30 November to 12 December, Expo City Dubai, UAE will welcome more than 70,000 participants, facilitating crucial conversations and decision-making on climate action. All nations and all sectors, including real estate, have an important role to play. The UAE is heavily engaged in the fi ght against climate change, having recognised that this issue must be prioritised if the nation is to maintain economic growth and sustainabil- ity over the long term. I am therefore immensely proud to see this most important of international conferences being hosted in my homeland. Since it fi rst took place in 1995, COP has successfully formed hundreds of vital projects and movements while ensuring a greater understanding of climate change. Some of the event’s key contributions include the Paris Agreement, put in place to keep the global temperature rise within 2°C of pre-industrial levels, and The Kyoto Protocol, which commits industrialised nations to limit and reduce greenhouse gases and emissions. Past COPs have taught us that, with coordinated efforts, solutions are possible. In recent years, the growth of green- house gas emissions has slowed, and since 2010, there have been sustained decreases of up to 85 percent in the costs of solar power, wind energy and batteries. On top of this, an increasing number of policies and laws have been introduced to improve energy effi ciency, reduce rates of deforestation and enhance the distribution of renewable energy. One day, it will be too late to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, but we have the tools and knowledge necessary to make a difference now if we act together. If previous summits have taught us one thing, it’s that climate change must be taken seriously and acted on collaboratively – and sooner rather than later. All COP summits have centred heavily on contributions from science and innovation, which are fundamental in our understanding of climate change and our efforts to combat it. COP28 will focus the eyes of the world – and the minds of the most powerful people on the planet – on the crucial next steps we need to take to combat climate change. I am really looking forward to this year’s summit, and with the UAE as hosts, I am certain that the lessons of the past can help inspire hope for the future. Our nation seeks to be at the forefront of climate-related issues, and I am sure this will be evident throughout the Expo City conference. No country, company or individual can address a challenge of this magnitude in isolation. Fortunately, COP28 in the UAE has the potential to bring the world together in action. BY ALI SAJWANI, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY, DAMAC WAN ITP MEDIA GROUP EVENT Celebrating the titans of industry in the Middle East WEDNESDAY 13 TH DECEMBER JUMEIRAH MINA A’SALAM, DUBAI, UAE Scan to visit website FOR PARTNERSHIP AND FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT ANDY SULAHIAN GROUP COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Tel: +971 4 444 3597 | GSM: +971 52 384 6238 | Email: andy.sulahian@itp.com SAMIR GLOR SALES MANAGER Tel: +971 4 444 3320 | GSM: +971 58 824 6859 | Email: samir.glor@itp.comNext >