Joint Communiqué for Climate Action in MENA

A high-ambition group of leaders from the Middle East and North Africa at COP28 outline a new comprehensive strategy for achieving a green future for the region

We, the undersigned companies and organizations, united by a shared commitment to address the urgent challenges of climate change, proudly announce our collective bold climate aspiration for the Middle East and North Africa region. Our region, while facing considerable climate-related challenges, also stands as a pivotal player in the global endeavor to combat climate change.
We pledge to continue to lead by example, drive transformative change and demonstrate our progressive commitment to achieving a net-zero future for our region. Leveraging the strength of our network and platform, we unite our voices and action to share our collective climate aspirations.

The pillars

We collectively agree to:

Drive our organizations to net zero

We commit our organizations to establishing net zero emissions roadmaps, aligned with global climate objectives and backed up with concrete emission reduction plans.

Deliver an emission reduction in the short term

We reaffirm our commitment to jointly reduce direct emissions by 200 Mt CO2e cumulatively by 2030, which is equivalent to our current annual emissions.

Enable greener growth

We commit to enabling transition and adaptation financial resources and forging partnerships to accelerate climate action, enhance climate resilience and promote circular value chains to chart the pathways to greener growth.

Build awareness and capability

We will proactively engage with consumers and supply chain participants, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and share knowledge, resources and support to build awareness and capabilities for systemic transformation.

Collaborate with the public sector

We will support the efforts from policy-makers to create an enabling ecosystem to drive emission disclosures, target-setting, and a just and equitable energy transition through public and private collaboration.

Together we embark on a journey to a more sustainable, inclusive, resilient and circular MENA region. Our collective commitment is a testament to our dedication to future generations and the planet we all share. As we rise to the climate challenge, we invite others to join us on this critical path to a brighter, greener future.

Signatories

Marco Arcelli

Chief Executive Officer, ACWA Power (Saudi Arabia)

Tarek Sultan

Vice Chairman of the Board, Agility (Kuwait)

Majid Jafar

Chief Executive Officer, Crescent Petroleum (United Arab Emirates)

Hatem Dowidar

Group Chief Executive Officer, e& (United Arab Emirates)

Shayne Nelson

Group Chief Executive Officer, Emirates NDB (United Arab Emirates)

Hana Al Rostamani

Group Chief Executive Officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank (United Arab Emirates)

Abdulaziz Al-Helaissi

Group Chief Executive Officer, Gulf International Bank (Bahrain)

Mohammed Alardhi

Executive Chairman, Investcorp (Bahrain)

Ahmed Galal Ismail

Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding (United Arab Emirates)

Helmut von Struve

Chief Executive Officer, Siemens UAE & Middle East (United Arab Emirates)

Jasim Husain Ahmed Thabet

Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) (United Arab Emirates) 

Lina Noureddin

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Lamar Holding (Bahrain)

Abdulrahman Al Hatmi

Group Chief Executive, Oman Global Logistics Group (ASYAD) (Oman)

Khalil Yassine
Head, Unilever Arabia (United Arab Emirates)

Part of the Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics

The centre convenes stakeholders to deliver insight into the dynamics of a fast-changing geopolitical context and to identify and operationalize opportunities for impact-driven partnerships. As part of this work, the centre spurs action on inclusive, sustainable growth through trade and investment.