(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Ayeni Olusegun |
The Peninsula
The United Nations Climate Change Conference under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) for the first time in 10 years.
Conference of the Parties (COP) will be held consecutively in the region in 2022 and 2023, with Egypt and the UAE set to host.
Qatar hosted the last edition of the COP in the region in 2012, which came up with The Doha Climate Gateway.
Speaking on the significance of hosting the climate summit in the MENA region, Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQ) Executive Director Neeshad Shafi said the conference would further shed more light on climate change hazards, especially to the region.
“Climate summits are very well known today, unlike the past,” Shafi told The Peninsula.“People didn't know about COP18 in Doha because it probably wasn't big news, but now, everyone talks about climate catastrophe and what happens in our day-to-day lives like wildfires and flooding. The climate situation has become a household topic for young people. I think the COP is not the end of the road, but it gives us momentum to work hard until the event,” he added.
Awareness of climate change dangers is spreading rapidly in the region, with several youth organizations and individuals calling for more policies and actionable strategies from the governments. Qatar recently formed the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, announced the Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and implemented several procedures to spread awareness and reduce the country's carbon footprint.
Meanwhile, according to Shafi, whose organisation plays a vital role in Qatar's sustainability and climate sensitisation drive, the COP27 and 28 would be a platform for Arab youth who have been vocal on this topic to have their voices heard.
“Regionally, it is a time for climate activists to showcase what they have been doing on the ground. Many youths don't get media coverage internationally.
“We want organisations in the region to speak for the region because there are so many people involved in climate movements here.”
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