Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, the Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, led the United Arab Emirates delegation to the G77+China Summit in Cuba. During the summit, she had the opportunity to engage with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, as well as various ministers and high-ranking officials from across the globe.

In reference to the UAE’s participation in the summit, His Excellency Almheiri expressed that “the UAE is of the belief that climate action presents an opportunity to establish a more just and sustainable world. It is an opportunity to elevate living standards, generate new employment opportunities and dynamic industries, reinforce our connection with nature, and promote climate-positive growth.”

Furthermore, His Excellency added that “we are of the conviction that science, innovation, and technology are the instruments that humanity requires to drive collective progress on climate action and assist us in achieving our objective of reducing global emissions by 43% by 2030. A fair, systematic, and equitable energy transition is inevitable and crucial, and the contributions of this Group are vital in representing the interests of the Global South and ensuring equitable access to the benefits of technology. Member states of the Group must continue to support each other in our shared endeavor.”

During the summit, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment met the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and conveyed the greetings and congratulations of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Cuba being named Chair of the G77+China Summit.

Almheiri also met H.E. Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister of Cuba, and discussed UAE-Cuba relations in food and agriculture sectors, among other fields, as well as details about UAE hosting COP28.

The UAE minister held talks with Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), to review the role of cooperation between countries of the Global South in accelerating the climate agenda. They also discussed the UAE’s commitment to provide US$4.5 billion to help drive Africa’s clean energy projects.

In another meeting, H.E. Almheiri and Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries, and the UAE’s preparations to host COP28.

During her meeting with Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, she expounded on the significance of knowledge sharing in propelling research and development, as well as strategies for incorporating climate change and sustainability into academic curricula. The UAE delegation also engaged in discussions with Elba Rosa Pérez Montoya, Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, to explore prospects for collaboration in the blue economy and knowledge transfer in the realm of marine life conservation, which will be a pivotal subject of discourse during COP28.