H.E. Engineer Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, participated in the launch of the “Group of 77 and China” summit during the work of “COP28”, with the participation of leaders of the group’s countries and governments, to discuss how to unite the global community to advance climate action for a sustainable future. The “Group of 77 and China” was formed in 1964 by 77 developing countries, at a meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to protect the common interests of its member states in the economic, social, and environmental fields, according to the United Nations. This represents the first summit ever for the group during a climate summit.
H.E. Engineer Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi also opened the pavilion of the Sultanate of Oman participating in the twenty-eighth conference of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), hosted by the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12, 2023. A number of their Excellencies from the GCC countries and the Sultanate of Oman participated in the opening ceremony.
Regarding the opening, H.E. the Engineer, Minister of Energy and Minerals, said, “We participate with the world in multiple discussions and meetings on the importance of finding practical and sustainable solutions to climate change through clear action strategies and policies, as well as initiatives implemented by the participating countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect and sustain the environment, and promote sustainable solutions for clean energy. For us in the Sultanate of Oman, we have taken important measures to reach zero carbon neutrality through the Royal directives by setting the year 2050 as the target, and the establishment of the Oman Sustainability Centre, and the energy transformation strategy that we have already begun to implement through many renewable energy and hydrogen projects.” H.E. added: “We also participate in an interactive pavilion that simulates the efforts and work initiatives provided by the Sultanate of Oman that contribute to achieving our ambitious goals. The pavilion also embodies the vision that the esteemed government attaches to the field of sustainability, and its ambitious strategies in terms of energy transformation, reducing emissions, carbon capture, environmental protection, and sustainable cities. The pavilion is an opportunity for the world to learn about the Sultanate of Oman’s experience in these fields, in addition to its participation in various meetings, discussion sessions, and presidential summits.”
The main video, “Oman, a Sustainable Future,” was shown during the opening, after which a ministerial dialogue session was opened under the title “Energy and Climate: Two Parallel Paths for Oman.” The session included H.E. Ambassador Humaid Ali Al-Ma’ani, Head of the Global Affairs Department at the Foreign Ministry, H.E. Khamis bin Mohammed Al-Shamakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, and H.E. Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Amri, Chairman of Environment Authority. They discussed four paradigm shifts: accelerating the energy transition process and reducing emissions before 2030, fulfilling old promises and setting a framework for a new deal on financing, developing nature, people, life and ways of living at the heart of climate action, and mobilizing for a more inclusive COP.
The Sultanate of Oman’s pavilion includes several sustainable green projects and initiatives, all aiming to find effective solutions to preserve the planet. The pavilion featured a section explaining the efforts to preserve mangroves and the environmental indicators of the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to a presentation on the green hydrogen project and the Sultanate’s aspirations for its production, carbon capture technology, and a presentation of the urban development strategy of the Sultanate of Oman and the sustainable city of Sultan Haitham, along with a section displaying minerals from the geology of Oman and their most important uses, and a presentation of the early warning system and Oman’s preparedness.
On the sidelines of the COP28 Conference of the Parties, H.E. the Engineer, Minister of Energy and Minerals, met with the Mayor of Rotterdam. During the meeting, they discussed topics related to ways of cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the sectors of developing joint projects related to hydrogen, renewable energy, and reducing carbon emissions.
H.E. Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Amri, Chairman of Environment Authority, met with the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, where areas of bilateral cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Nations Environment Program were discussed in the areas concerned with the environment, climate action, and nature conservation. H.E. reviewed the efforts of the Sultanate of Oman and the projects it is implementing in the field of climate action and reducing the risks of global warming and climate change, including the zero carbon neutrality plan by 2050, the national strategy for an orderly energy transition, the blue carbon project through which millions of mangroves will be planted, renewable and clean energy projects such as solar and wind energy, and the implementation of national campaigns to farm millions of mangrove trees and other projects and initiatives.
The Executive Director of the United Nations Programme praised the efforts, initiatives, and projects undertaken by the Sultanate of Oman in the field of climate action and its contribution to the efforts of the international community to confront the dangers of global warming and climate change and to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
At the end of the meeting, H.E. invited the Executive Director of the United Nations Programme to participate in a speech at the opening of the Oman Environmental Sustainability Conference scheduled to be held in Muscat at the end of February 2024.