Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), in partnership with Mubadala and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has launched an initiative to address climate change, in conjunction with the upcoming 28th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP28) Climate Change Conference. The Centre for Climate Diplomacy aims to advance effective climate change research, underlines the importance of research in guiding the UAE’s foreign policy on climate change and inspire ambitious climate action.
Some of the initiative’s main goals include coordinating efforts for a shared research agenda with other academic and research institutes and think tanks in the Middle East, along with providing regular briefing sessions for government representatives and strategic partners. The initiative also focuses on forming partnerships with the public and private sectors by supporting their decarbonisation efforts, while serving as a network hub for climate research in the region.
His Excellency Nickolay Mladenov, Director General of Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), said: “The purpose of launching our Centre for Climate Diplomacy initiative is to support diplomatic efforts in addressing the challenge of climate change. The initiative focusses on a range of areas, including climate diplomacy, mitigation, adaptation and finance. The collaboration also brings together diverse perspectives, capabilities and networks, enabling us to develop comprehensive and holistic solutions to combat climate change. We firmly believe that this platform will serve as a catalyst for innovation, encourage discussion and present feasible solutions to address the urgent climate crisis.”
The Centre for Climate Diplomacy initiative will begin by establishing knowledge alliances with AGDA’s global partners. It will invite experienced non-resident fellows to conduct research that contributes to the discussion on how we can tackle the most pressing challenge to our planet and include a series of briefings, publications and events.
The Centre for Climate Diplomacy will encourage AGDA’s participation in joint research projects with other think tanks and universities. The main research pillars for the initiative include Sustainable and Climate Finance, the Energy Transition, Adaptation and Resilience, as well as Climate Diplomacy and Security.
The Centre for Climate Diplomacy, which is aligned with the immediate global priorities outlined in the lead up to COP28, will serve as a critical platform for experts, researchers and policymakers to collaborate and address the challenges of the rising climate crisis. The initiative seeks to produce feasible solutions and influence transformative change on local, regional and global levels by leveraging collective expertise of key entities.
