SFC Markets and Finance｜Abdullah Al Nuaimi: China is a role model for sustainability

南方财经全媒体记者谢鸿州阿联酋报道

Worldleaders,governmentrepresentativesanddelegatesaregatheringinDubaifortheannualUnitedNationsclimatechangesummit,knownastheConferenceofthePartiesorCOP28.Keyclimatechangeissuesincludingcarbonemissions,energytransitionandclimatefinanceareexpectedtobetoppingtheagendaofthe13-daysummit(November30toDecember12).

ToknowmoredetailsofCOP28UAEandglobaleffortsagainstclimatechange,wehadanexclusiveinterviewwithDr.AbdullahBelhaifAlNuaimi,theformerMinisterofClimateChangeandEnvironmentoftheUAE,whowaspartofthecountry'ssuccessfulbidtoholdtheevent.

"IbelievethattheUnitedArabEmirates,frommyexperienceduringthe40years,isgoingtomakeCOP28aneventthathasneverbeenseenbefore,"Dr.AlNuaimitoldushewasconfidentthattheeventisgoingtobeasuccesswithfruitfuloutcomes.

BeforebeingtheMinisterofClimateChangeandEnvironment,Dr.AlNuaimialsospent7yearsworkingastheMinisterofInfrastructureDevelopment.Duringtheinterview,hespokehighlyoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,ofwhichtheUAEhaslongbeenanactiveparticipant. 

TheUAEbenefitsfromBRIinthreeways

SFCMarketsandFinance:Weknowthatthisyearmarksthe10thanniversaryoftheBeltandRoadInitiativeandtheUAEisoneoftheearliestadoptersoftheinitiative.Canyousharewithussomeoftheprojectsthatyouwereinvolvedinduringatimeinthegovernment?AndinwhatwayshastheBRIbenefitedtheUAEintermsofsustainabledevelopment?

AlNuaimi:IcanthinkofthreewaysonhowtheUnitedArabEmiratesbenefitsfromtheBRI.Asyouknow,theBRIistwostages.Oneisthesilkroadandtheotheristhesilkports.Andthenbothwehaveparticipatedandparticipatedverywell.Forthatwebenefitfromiteconomically.TheUnitedArabEmirates,ofcourse,isknowntobeahubfortradesbetweentheEastandWest.Andifyouarepartofthisinitiative,youfindyourselfgrowingeconomically,becausesimplyyourgeographicallocationhelpsyou.Andyourparticipationinsuchprojectsmakesyoualsopartofthebiggestprojectthathasbeenseensofarinthewholeuniversethatiswhentheystartedabout2013inChina.Thatwasthetimewhenalmost150countriesandorganizationpulledintoreallyparticipateonthisvisionarything.

Thesecondisthatwemakegoodties.WeimprovethetieswithChina.Today,asyouseethatwehaveprobably,wearethesecondintradingwithChina.Wearethefirstofnon-oiltradingcountrywithChina.Sothesearesomethingthatwehavebenefitedfromthis.

Thirdisforfutureprosperity.Becauseyouhaveopportunitiesonthis.IfyouarepartofthisBRIinitiative,youalsohavethatopportunityinanuncertaintythatwe'vebeenseeingafterCOVID-19:whethertradecouldcontinue,whethertradecouldmakedifferentvisionarythought.

So,whenyouarepartofthisinitiative,youmakesensethatyoubenefitfromanyfutureopportunitiesthatyoumightbeplanningfor.

COP28willbeaneventneverseenbefore

SFCMarketsandFinance:Weknowyouwereinvolvedwiththesuccessfulbidforhostingcop28in2023,soisthereanydetailyoucouldsharewithus?Andwhatarethecountry'sgoalsandexpectationsfortheevent?

AlNuaimi:AtthetimethatwasmylastjobIhadwithinthegovernment.ItwasbeingtheMinisterofClimateChange.Andduringthatperiod,itwasashortperiod,aboutlessthan2years.Duringthatperiod,wehadthisopportunitytoreallyconsiderhostingthisbigevent.AndthenwethegovernmentoftheUnitedArabEmirateslookedintothisopportunityasapositiveinitiativeandwecompetedwithothersandwewentintoacompetition.IwasatthetimewhenstartingthecompetitionandweremainedalongwithKorea.So,bothstates,KoreaandtheUnitedArabEmiratesthoughtofhostingthisgreatevent.

AndinGlasgow,thevotewasatthattime.IwasnolongerhavingmypositionastheMinisterofClimateChangebutthefilewasgiventoHisExcellencySultanAlJaberwhowasdoinggreatonparticipationandanticipationofwhatisgoingtohappen. 

MyexpectationsinCOPsgenerally,Idon'twanttosingleoutCOP28,butIbelievethattheUnitedArabEmiratesfrommyexperienceduringthe40yearsisgoingtomakeCOP28aneventthathasneverbeenseenbefore.

Wecanseewhathasbeenannouncedsofar.Wehaveseentheengagementofthesocietythathasnotbeendonebefore.WehaveseentheengagementofyouththathasbeendoneinthepreviousCOPs,inalowprofile.Wehaveseenactuallythebiggestengagementofthegovernmentwhereit'snolongeraneventthatwouldprobablytakethat20or21daysandthenwewouldgo.WearelookingintothewholeuniversetobepartofthisCOP28,andmakegoodfortheatmosphere,makegoodfortheearth.Themoretheengagement,themorethebenefit.

Theabundantofwisdom

SFCMarketsandFinance:Ok,sogoingbacktotheUAE.WeknowthattheUAENetZeroby2050Initiativeisquiteambitiousandbold.Asoneoftheworld'sbiggestoil-producingnations,whytheUAEismotivatedtodevelopthis2050initiative?AndcouldyousharewithussomeofthestrategiesandmeasurestheUAEisundertakingtoachievethesegoals? 

AlNuaimi:ThatiswhatIhavewroteaboutinoneofthereputedjournals.Icalledittheabundantofwisdom.It'sveryessentialtothinkofthat.BecausetheUnitedArabEmiratesleadership,about20yearsago,thoughtofhavingsolarfield,thoughtofhavingalesspollutantplant,nuclearpowergenerationplants.Peoplefromoutsidewouldthinkacountrythathasareserveofhundredbilliontonsofoil,whyshouldtheydothat?ThatiswhatIcalltheabundantofwisdom.Youhavealot.Butyouhavethewisdomtoknowthatthisisexhaustible.

Ifyoureallythinkofthefuture,ifyoureallythinkofthegenerationtocome,ifyoureallythinkofsustainabilityinitsbestformat,youreallyneedtothinkofhowwouldIcompensateforwhatIamdoingtodaywithpollutantgases,withthefossilfuel,canIreduceofit?CanIaddanothermixtotherequirementandthatiswhatishappeninginhere.Lookingintosolar,lookingintowind,lookingintonuclear.So,thismixoffuelsisawisdom.

So,havinganoptionofrenewablestodayorthenewtechnologiestodaythatcouldbeavailableifoilandgasisexhausted,orifthetechnologymigratedfromoilandgasintonewtechnologies,theUnitedArabEmiratesoranycountrythatthoughtoftheabundantofwisdomwouldactuallybereadytomaketheirlifesustainableandcontinuous.

SFC:So,couldyoualsodiscussthepotentialeconomicbenefitsandjobopportunitiesthatmayarisefromsustainabilityefforts?

AlNuaimi:Sustainability,nodoubt,isthefutureofthewholesocieties.Nowtobesustainableisanewerathattheywouldbeseeingthewholesocietiestodayarebeingeducatedinsustainability.Everybodyisspeakingaboutsustainability.Sustainabilitybecameinschool.Sustainabilitybecameinwayofthinking.Sustainabilitybecameinwayofdoingthings.

So,whileworkingonsustainability,you'renotonlyimpactingthefuturegeneration,butyouareimpactingthereallifetoday.OneofthearticlesIwroteabout,"Howtomakesustainabilitywork?".Thistimeitisnottakingittoinstitutions.Actually,itistakingtokindergartens,tothekids,tothelittleboys.

Withthat,naturallytherewouldbenewjobsopportunities.Today,whenyou'retestedforajob,theyreallylookintoyoursustainablebehaviorinwayofthinking,sustainableofthewayyou'resitting.So,thatcomespartofeveninterviewingpeopleforajob.

So,Ithinkthesustainabilityistakingahugepartofourlifeanditwouldcontinuewithus.Wewouldgeneratefuturejobs,futurebehaviorsthatwouldgeneratedifferentsocietiesaswell.

Chinaisarolemodelforsustainability

SFC:HowdoweenvisiontheUAE'sroleinadvancingglobalsustainabilitygoalsandalsoclimateefforts?Andintermsofinternationalcooperation,Chinaisalsoanactiveplayerinfightingtheclimatechange.Howdoesthecooperationbetweenthetwocountriescontributetoadvancingthesesustainabilitygoals?

AlNuaimi:Therelationshipbetweenthetwocountrieshashaveseengreatimprovementforthelast20yearsorso.WehaveChinesecompaniesoperatingourportshereinAbuDhabi.WehavetheUnitedArabEmiratesparticipatingonthebuiltroadupartistpaintingandfundingthebanksthatdealswiththis.Ithinkthetwocountries,particularlyChinaisreallyseriousaboutrenewableandaboutrenewableenergy.Chinahasthebiggestsolarpark.Outoffivebiggestsolarparks,Chinahasthebiggesttwo.TheothertwoareIndiaandbetweenthem,thethirdistheoneinEgypt.So,wehaveChinaarolemodelforsustainability.WehaveChinaagoodrolemodelforimprovingtheclimatebyintroducingsolarenergytotheirenergybooks.

So,Ibelieveinthisrelationship,particularlywhenitcomestothesciencecooperationandresearchworks.That'swhatwereallyneedtoseebetweenChinaandothers.NotonlytheUnitedArabEmirates.Becausethatiswhereyoucangetintotherealknowledge.

策划：于晓娜

监制：施诗

责任编辑：和佳

记者：谢鸿州

制作：李群

拍摄：王沛然卢如钢

新媒体统筹：丁青云曾婷芳赖禧黄达迅

海外运营监制:黄燕淑

海外运营内容统筹:黄子豪

海外运营编辑：庄欢吴婉婕龙李华张伟韬

出品：南方财经全媒体集团

（作者：谢鸿州编辑：和佳）