Now accepting applications for Fast Company Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies. Click here to apply.

The Middle East bears a disproportionate impact of climate change, even as their per-capita emissions of greenhouse gases are lower than the global average, and it is responsible for only a small share of the current stock of emissions. The region, meanwhile, has many countries that are among the ten most vulnerable in the world.

Yet, climate change mitigation is a global public good. This shared responsibility to combat global warming continues to shape international climate change diplomacy, paving the way for agreements that seek mitigation and adaptation measures. 

To further accelerate the country’s aim to advance research for climate action, UAE’s Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) has partnered with Mubadala and ADNOC Group to launch the Centre for Climate Diplomacy. The center looks to address the vitality of research in guiding the UAE’s policies on climate change.

“The UAE continues to advance progressive solutions to address climate change, and diplomacy plays a crucial role in enabling greater collaboration across public and private sectors,” said Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group CEO of ADNOC Group.

“The urgent need for effective climate action at scale demands that organizations and individuals from every sector and around the world come together to deliver tangible action,” he adds.

Additionally, the center will act as a regional space whereby climate research among academic institutions and think tanks across the Middle East will be encouraged. It will also host regular information sessions for government officials and strategic partners.

Aligned with COP28, Al Jaber, President-Designate, notes that the center will leverage its partners’ collective experience, expertise, and resources to accelerate the global drive toward net zero and their decarbonization goals. 

The main research pillars for the center include sustainable and climate finance, energy transition, adaptation and resilience, and climate diplomacy and security.