UAE delegation to attend Paris climate summit

Abu Dhabi, Nov 27 (IANS/WAM) A delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will attend the highly anticipated climate summit scheduled to be held in Paris from November 30 to December 11.

The UAE will join more than 190 nations at the 21st meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP21) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to discuss - and potentially agree upon - a binding universal agreement to tackle the threat of climate change.

"No nation is immune from the effects of climate change," UAE Minister of State and Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said.

"The Paris negotiations offer an unprecedented opportunity for the world to unify around a common cause, and to ultimately, secure a sustainable and low-carbon future."

UN negotiations stem back to 1992, and for the first time in more than 20 years, the gathering in Paris aims to reach a binding, universal agreement applicable to all countries that combats climate change in an effort to avoid a temperature increase of two degrees Celsius.

The summit is expected to attract 50,000 participants, and more than 25,000 official delegates.

"The UAE is committed to climate action and to working with government leaders to agree upon an ambitious solution," the minister added.

The delegation will be headed by Al Jaber and will include representatives from the foreign affairs ministry, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology and Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi.

--IANS/WAM

ksk/bg