Road to COP28 Event Launches to Address MENA Climate Action

The ‘Road to COP28’ event brought together over 350 prominent business leaders, entrepreneurs, and government officials, in collaboration with 27 YPO Middle East/North Africa chapters, according to the Emirati New Agency WAM.

The event consisted of keynote speeches on the preparations for COP28 and opportunities for business to engage across the COP28 Presidential Action Agenda, including from Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, and Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in sessions focusing on critical aspects of climate action underscored by COP28’s private sector initiatives; such as the energy sector’s role in global emissions reductions and the policies driving it, the intersection of climate finance and technological innovation, the connection between the built environment and climate, and the protection of natural assets and food systems in addressing the climate crisis.

UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, Razan Al Mubarak said in her keynote speech: "The future of our planet hinges not solely on government resolutions, but on the innovation, commitment, and ambition of the private sector. As we stand at this crossroad, it is essential for businesses and philanthropies to channel their influence and resources, closing the finance gap and crafting a green legacy for generations to come."

The event put a spotlight on the important role that private sector can play in meeting climate goals, while the COP28 Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum aims to strengthen this collaborative climate action in line with the COP28 Action Agenda, which includes fast-tracking a just and orderly energy transition; fixing climate finance; putting nature, lives, and livelihoods at the heart of climate action; and underpinning everything with full inclusivity.