NYU Abu Dhabi is proud to have participated in COP28 that has now produced the historic UAE Consensus, which sees the world lay down actionable steps towards transitioning away from fossil fuels and committing to providing a more livable planet for all.
As a leading sustainability-focused higher education institution and the inaugural Chair of the University’s Climate Network, NYUAD participated across the board in this COP28 by supporting research, providing networking opportunities, hosting discussions, and empowering youth from around the world.
Throughout the conference, the University held 43 events and engagements that saw 137 community members representing the University in various talks, debates, negotiations, and deals in both Blue and Green Zones.
As the world moves ahead, empowered by the historic agreement reached at COP28, NYUAD is committed to implementing its Climate Action Plan and advancing towards achieving its pledge of Net Zero by 2040.
This agreement marks an important milestone in our fight against climate change. As the world moves towards the next COP, here are some of the highlights from the last two weeks:
Universities Climate Network: Legacy in Practice
NYUAD hosted an all day forum for UAE based higher education experts and leaders representing 33 university members. The event discussed best-practices around improving youth engagement, building community, increasing public engagement, decarbonizing campuses, and supporting research and innovation.
Meet the Mentors
Working alongside COP28 Youth Climate Champion, our University organized a series of pavilion sessions where a panel of high level mentors were invited to share their career journey insights and interactively engage with youth delegates.
The youth delegates were afforded 28 mentorship hours with these industry leaders to advance and resource youth-led climate action.
Global Higher Education Networking Night
Collaborating with the COP28 Presidency and the Network of Networks, NYUAD hosted this networking event providing a milestone moment for climate leaders in academia to strengthen their connections and provide a platform for ongoing action.
The need for community building in the sector was identified in consultation with international higher education institutions internationally over the last year and is a unique opportunity to actively and inclusively engage these delegate observers and their UAE university counterparts.
Mubadala ACCESS Center
NYU Abu Dhabi has received a commitment from Mubadala to sponsor its Arabian Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences (ACCESS). Through the strategic partnership, the center has officially been renamed the Mubadala ACCESS Center.
The Center also received a one million USD grant from Dalio Philanthropies to support cutting-edge climate research, including ways to increase coral resilience in a warming ocean.
Student Energy Summit
NYUAD students and alumni hosted the Student Energy Summit, the largest youth-led energy events in the world, providing a transformative space for young people to collaborate on energy solutions with professionals in the field.
Under the theme Reimagining the Future, hundreds of students gathered on NYUAD campus and at Expo City to participate in creating a sustainable outlook for the energy transition by connecting the youth of today to leaders of the energy sector to educate the leaders of tomorrow.
Angel Rising
startAD, the accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYUAD , and MENA-based venture capital firm VentureSouqhosted the Angel Rising Investor Education Symposium at COP28 under the theme, ClimateTech for Change.
Aligned with the UAE’s ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2050, the 8th annual edition of Angel Rising was organized in partnership with The US Mission to the UAE and The Catalyst to support and invest in clean-tech startups that are creating and scaling solutions to address climate change.
Transition Investment Workshop
NYU Abu Dhabi’s Transition Investment Lab (TIL) in collaboration with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy hosted a workshop that helped identify practical, business-oriented solutions and solid investment opportunities, engaging the broader ecosystem of experts, investors, companies, and policy makers.
It also delved into the role of finance and investment in addressing one of today’s major challenges in sustainable development, leveraging on TIL’s actionable research outputs in the field of food security.