Abu Dhabi : A conference titled 'From G20 to COP28: Energy, Climate and Growth' was held in Abu Dhabi on November 12 aiming to align the outcomes of India's G20 Presidency on climate action with the COP28 agenda, informed the official press release.
The conference was hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), as the Secretariat of the Think20 (T20), in partnership with the Emirates Policy Centre, COP28 UAE, T28, and ORF America.
"This unique event was designed to align the Indian G20 Presidency's outcomes on climate action with the COP28 agenda, which is set to take place in the UAE later this month," the release stated.
The event brought together over 100 delegates from 63 countries, including international delegates and policy experts from across the world to discuss and ideate solutions to issues which are expected to be at the forefront of deliberations at COP28.
Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE opened the conference with a keynote address and a Q&A interaction. He thanked the T20 for its important work.
"As the official 'ideas bank' for the G20, the T20's research and policy briefs are essential to guiding leaders towards ambitious negotiated outcomes at COP28, and your thought leadership is critical for translating those outcomes into practical action in the real world," he said.
"COP28 is focused on the north star of keeping 1.5 within reach while delivering an energy transition that leaves no one behind" Sultan Al Jaber added.
Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to UAE, elaborated on India's commitment to achieving the goals and objectives of the green transition.
"We are driven by a vision of energy prosperity for all, the need to address the impact of climate change on the Global South agenda, to empower green innovation to bridge technological gaps, and to resolve inequities in the global financial architecture," the Ambassador of India to UAE said.
"Today's conversations revolve around the most important issue of our time--the planetary crisis and our response to it," said Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation.
He further highlighted UAE and India's shared vision of combatting the climate crisis, by stating, "Both countries are the incubators of a new dynamism. We're optimistic and determined to have a brighter future."
Echoing this sentiment and underscoring the significance of identifying synergies between the two global forums, Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, President and Founder, Emirates Policy Center, UAE, said, "The shared objective connecting India's G20 presidency to UAE COP28 presidency is the imperative to advance clean energy, address global warming, and maintain global energy stability".
Delving further into the inequities between the Global North and Global South, Sujan Chinoy, Chair, T20 India Core Group & Director General, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), India asserted, "We need to focus on the availability and non-availability of technology and hybrid finance. We need to innovate and share these innovations with the Global South."
Renato Baumann, Senior Researcher, at the Institute for Applied Economic Research, Brazil also supported this line of thought. "We need a basic agenda that solves the financial issue. There needs to be a commitment from rich countries to provide resources," he noted.
A compendium, "Converging Paths: Global Governance for Climate Justice and Health Equity" edited by ORF scholars Vikrom Mathur and Aparna Roy, was also released during this conference.
It highlighted the inextricable link between climate justice and health equity and called for the creation of global governance frameworks that are better aligned to ensure global equity and justice.
Notably, Think20 (T20) is an official Engagement Group of the G20. It serves as an "idea bank" for the G20 by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the G20.
T20 recommendations are synthesised into policy briefs and presented to G20 working groups, ministerial meetings, and leaders' summit to help the G20 deliver concrete policy measures.
ORF is a leading multidisciplinary think tank with centres in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and an overseas affiliate in Washington DC. It helps discover and inform India's choices and carries Indian voices and ideas to forums shaping global debates. It provides non-partisan, independent, well-researched analyses and inputs to diverse decision-makers in governments, business communities, and academia and to civil society around the world.
The Observer Research Foundation America (ORF America) is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organisation in Washington DC. ORF America produces research, curates diverse and inclusive platforms, and develops networks for cooperation between the developed and developing worlds based on common values and shared interests.
Its areas of focus are international affairs and security, technology policy, energy and climate, and economic development. Established in 2020, ORF America is an overseas affiliate of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India's premier non-government think tank, the release stated.