US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry’s visit to the UAE highlights that both the UAE and the US are on the same page for sustainable development and mitigating climate change's negative effects.

Kerry visited a number of major developmental projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that support the country's efforts in the fields of renewable energy, climate change mitigation, and local and global stable growth.

Kerry accompanied Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, on a helicopter tour of Noor Abu Dhabi, the world's largest single-site solar plant. He visited the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Masdar, which has helped the UAE expand its renewable energy portfolio by 400 % in last ten years. He also paid a visit to Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world's first university dedicated to using artificial intelligence to drive sustainability solutions.

Kerry was briefed on the upcoming 2 GW Al Dhafra Solar Project, which recently set a new record for the lowest solar power tariff at 1.35 cents/kWh. The day's activities included a tour of other main solar installations, including Shams 1, one of the world's largest concentrated solar power plants, where Kerry was briefed on the upcoming 2 GW Al Dhafra Solar Project, which currently set a new record for the lowest solar power tariff at 1.35 cents. 

Kerry finished the day by visiting the Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi. Mangroves, which are native to the UAE, have three advantages: they avoid coastal erosion, promote biodiversity, and capture more carbon per hectare than rainforests. With millions of mangroves already planted along its coasts, the UAE has pledged to plant an additional 30 million by 2030 as part of its second Nationally Determined Contribution. The UAE is a big supporter of renewable energy programmes aimed at mitigating the detrimental impacts of climate change on habitats and different economic sectors.

John Kerry is in Abu Dhabi for the first Regional Climate Dialogue, which the UAE and the US will co-host on April 4th. Senior climate action members from the GCC, the MENA region, and the UK will participate in the Dialogue.

“I'm pleased that US Special Envoy for Climate Change Kerry has joined us for a significant climate dialogue with regional partners, who will accelerate global progress toward climate goals,” Dr. Al Jaber added. The UAE has made ambitious promises on climate change, both domestically and globally, over the last 15 years, and has shown its willingness to follow through.”

Kerry shared his delight at his visit to the United Arab Emirates, adding that it is part of his efforts to make the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow a success and address the climate crisis with the urgency it requires.

“It's interesting to see the UAE continuing to lead several other countries in the quest for new technologies to solve the global warming problem and in the transition to a new economy when in the midst of a crisis. We are faced with a huge global challenge that is intensifying,” Kerry said.