COP28 President-Designate meets Pope Francis

The COP28 President-designate met with the head of the Catholic church to discuss the crucial role of faith leaders in advancing the climate agenda at the upcoming summit in the UAE.

Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, who is also the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, met with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican.

The COP28 Presidency has collaborated with the Vatican, the Muslim Council of Elders, and the United Nations Environment Programme to ensure inclusivity in the COP process by integrating faith organisations into climate discussions.

To advance the role of faith communities in the COP process, the COP28 Presidency has designed a series of inter-faith initiatives in the run up to and during the conference.

One of the key initiatives will be a global summit for faith leaders, the Confluence of Conscience, which will take place from November 6-7 in Abu Dhabi.

It will unite hundreds of religious leaders, academics, and scientists to collectively address the findings of the Global Stocktake (GST) and sign a declaration to progress climate action at COP28.

The gathering will discuss the ethical responsibilities of faith leaders in addressing the climate crisis and will call for increased ambition at COP28 and beyond.

Additionally, the COP28 Presidency will co-host the Faith Pavilion at COP28, marking the first-ever pavilion of its kind at a COP event.

The Faith Pavilion will host panels with religious leaders, scientists, and political leaders, as well as encourage dialogue involving young faith leaders and indigenous representatives.

COP28 presents an opportunity to fast-track the energy transition by building the energy system of the future, while rapidly decarbonizing the energy system of today to keep 1.5°C within reach.

During the meeting in Rome, Dr. Al Jaber expressed gratitude to the Vatican for its climate action advocacy and extended an invitation to Pope Francis to join the World Climate Action Summit at COP28.

COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber met with Pope Francis @Pontifex, the Head of the Catholic Church, during his visit to the Vatican, discussing the crucial role of faith leaders in advancing the climate agenda at COP28.#DrSultanAlJaber #COP28 #ClimateActionNow pic.twitter.com/5kIsvafQsL

— COP28 UAE (@COP28_UAE) October 11, 2023