On the sidelines of the “Forum of Sustainability and Government Action” held by Egypt, the UAE Government and the Arab Administrative Development Organisation (ARADO) of the Arab League released a report titled “Sustainability and Government Action: Arab Government Situation”, as part of the UAE’s initiatives for the Year of Sustainability.

The event was attended by Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, Nasser Al Hatlan Al Qahtani, Director-General of ARADO, and other Arab ministers and officials involved in administrative development and sustainability.

The report made several recommendations based on interviews with 1,800 Arab government officials, including developing smart cities, promoting green financing, utilising private sector resources, and highlighting the importance of raising awareness in relevant areas.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, said that governments play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change through drafting suitable strategies to meet global climate objectives, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, such as regional and international organisations.

“The report supports our focus during COP28 on enhancing the efforts to achieve a significant shift in climate action,” he said.

During the forum, Al Roumi made a keynote speech on the importance of establishing policies and laws that encourage sustainable green transformation and promoting public-private partnerships to achieve climate neutrality.

The report will help Arab governments prepare for achieving sustainability and combatting climate change, as well as for related economic and social challenges, she added, pointing out the major opportunities for long-term economic growth identified by the report, such as the drafting of proactive climate policies and measures and stressing the need for resilience to adapt to green government requirements.

She also noted that the report is part of the UAE Government’s climate action efforts and its commitment to developing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, in line with the Year of Sustainability declared by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the country’s preparations to host COP28.

Al Qahtani said that the launch of the report, in collaboration between ARADO, the Arab League and the UAE Government, is the right moment to assess the readiness of Arab governments to tackle climate change and seize opportunities for growth in the green economy.

The report reflects the commitment of Arab governments to protect the environment and limit the negative repercussions of climate change, he added.

This initiative will boost Arab administrative development, which is key to achieving comprehensive and sustainable development, he further added, stressing that he is confident that Arab governments will respond and cooperate appropriately.

The report stressed that hosting COP28 in the UAE is an opportunity to attract investments to the region and establish partnerships across an array of sectors.