His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi headlines session exploring impact of climate change on human prosperity

Dubai-UAE: His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, welcomed today high-level participants of the ‘Climate Change Forum – Climate Action Now’, organized by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment as part of the sixth World Government Summit in Dubai.

Examining the impact of climate change on communities around the world, this year’s Climate Change Forum includes four sessions on the key themes of peace and prosperity, gender and youth, and preparing for climate-linked disasters.

His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi kicked off the event with a session titled ‘Climate Change and its Impact on Human Prosperity’, which provided a perspective on how climate change is merging with humanitarian crises and threatening global peace and prosperity. Outlining a possible scenario for our future, he said: “Imagine that you live in a world where you are not talking about category 2 and 3 hurricanes, but category 5. Then imagine that you can do something to stop all of this.”

He added: “The facts are very clear. Not opinions, not politics, but scientific facts. Humans – you and me – are causing climate change. Change that is making droughts more common, and putting massive pressure on our food systems and people’s livelihoods, and causing mass displacement and migration.”

To offset and prepare for these environmental changes, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi referenced several pioneering projects in the UAE and abroad that provide economic empowerment as well as climate-resilient solutions to communities, such as the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund, a new US$50 million grant fund for resilient renewables in the Caribbean Islands with a focus on hurricane recovery.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the World Government Summit 2018 is running from February 11 to 13 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The landmark event convenes more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 16 international organizations.

Hosting more than 130 speakers across 120 interactive sessions, WGS 2018 features six distinct forums that examine the challenges of vital sectors for the future with a view to finding the best resolutions for the greater global good. Furthermore, over 20 specialized global reports spanning key sectors and topics of the summit are being launched during the event.

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About the World Government Summit

The World Government Summit is the primary global forum dedicated to shaping the future of governments worldwide. Each year, the summit sets the agenda for the next generation of governments with a focus on harnessing innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity. The World Government Summit is a knowledge exchange platform that converges governments, futurism, technology and innovation. It functions as a thought leadership and networking hub for policymakers, experts and pioneers in human development. As a gateway to the future, the summit analyzes trends, issues and opportunities that humanity is likely to face in the coming decades, while showcasing innovations, best practices and smart solutions that inspire creative ideas on how best to address them.

© Press Release 2018