ABU DHABI 1 July 2019: United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, took a helicopter tour over the 3.2 million solar panels of the world’s largest single solar project, Noor Abu Dhabi, as the solar plant commenced commercial operation for the first time yesterday.
With a production capacity of nearly 1,177 MW, Noor Abu Dhabi is set to reduce the UAE capital’s carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of removing 200,000 cars off the roads.
The Dh3.2 billion solar plant is a key component of the UAE’s Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2050 and reduce carbon footprint of power generation by 70 percent, said Wam.
UN Secretary General António Guterres said: “Sometimes it’s as much opportunity as necessity that is the mother of invention. Here in the United Arab Emirates, it is eye- opening to see renewables on the rise. Scaling up renewables in all countries is not just an urgent need for tackling global warming – it makes economic sense. It’s a huge opportunity to create new and better jobs, and to improve people’s health by cutting pollution. To do that, we need to get much more climate finance flowing and the Climate Action Summit will be an opportunity to do exactly that.”
António Guterres and more than 1,000 political leaders, heads of state, high level dignitaries and climate action advocates are gathering under one roof to discuss climate change and renewable energy at the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting, which will be held from June 30 to July 1.
The event will serve to craft the agenda for the United Nations Climate Action Summit taking place later this year.
Mohamed receives Guterres
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has received the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is currently visiting the UAE for the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting that kicked-off on Sunday.
The two sides discussed means of developing cooperation between the UAE and the UN across its various agencies and programmes, mainly focusing on humanitarian relief, development, and environmental sustainability.
Sheikh Mohamed and Guterres also exchanged views on regional and international issues and developments of common concern. They also emphasised the importance of intensifying joint efforts to address underlying and pressing global challenges.
The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and UN Secretary-General highlighted the importance of events like the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting, which is hosted by the UAE in collaboration with the United Nations. The high-level meeting serves as a precursor to the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in September 2019 and aims to outline the agenda and draft resolutions to be tabled at the Summit.
During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed noted the UAE’s role in supporting global efforts to reduce the impact of climate change and achieve an integrated system for environmental sustainability.
UAE Support
For his part, Guterres praised the UAE’s hosting of the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting in preparation for the upcoming Summit in New York, while noting the UAE’s continued support of the UN and international bodies undertaking ambitious measures to address the consequences of climate change.
Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, also attended the meeting, along with the delegation accompanying the UN Secretary-General.
