Dubai Cares joins COP28 UAE on climate action education

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The incoming Presidency of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Dubai Cares have agreed to partner on a suite of climate education outcomes on the sidelines of COP28 which will take place at Expo City Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023.

Dubai Cares will notably host the second edition of the RewirEd Summit, the global education cooperation platform, in conjunction with the global climate summit with a focus on climate action education and approaches this year. Dubai Cares will also lead a global preparatory process from now until the summit to mobilize public and private actors around new policy, financing, and technology outcomes that both equip learners for the net-zero economy and enhance accessibility and resilience in the education sector.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the 2023 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in the presence of Amb. Majid Al Suwaidi, Director General of COP28 and Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares.

Recognizing the importance of integrating climate and education as key drivers for a sustainable and prosperous future, Dubai Cares, a civil society organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, will support the efforts of COP28 by convening climate and education stakeholders from around the world to unify efforts towards a common vision.

“Climate change is the defining challenge of our era. It is essential for us to empower our youth and society with the knowledge and skills to become changemakers and contribute to meaningful action,” said Amb. Majid Al Suwaidi, Director General of COP28. “We welcome this partnership with Dubai Cares, to connect with diverse stakeholders, create capacity-building opportunities and mobilize a concerted drive for inclusive climate progress.”

Commenting on the announcement, Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, said: “COP28 represents the UAE’s enduring commitment to addressing the climate crisis and accelerating progress towards a better and more secure and prosperous world. As COP28’s education partner, Dubai Cares looks forward to supporting the UAE’s efforts by uniting education and climate actors towards a common vision of unlocking the potential of transformed education systems to not only mitigate climate challenges, but also contribute to national and global aspirations. We are pleased to see that COP28 will be the first COP gathering to prioritize education in climate discussions by placing it at the forefront of its agenda. We are grateful to the COP28 Presidency for believing in our mission and for selecting Dubai Cares to coordinate stakeholders in designing the COP’s education programming.”

Building on its 15 years of experience in designing innovative programs globally as well as advocating for children and youth’s right to education and based on its strong network of country partners, educational institutions, multilateral organizations, UN agencies, global mechanisms and the private sector, Dubai Cares will drive the conversation on positioning education as a key climate solution by enabling stakeholders to showcase innovative practices and scalable solutions to mobilize action for transforming education and climate action.