Your Highness, Secretary General, Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his warm invitation to speak to you at the opening of COP28.
Eight years ago, I was most touched to be asked to speak at the opening of COP21 in Paris, which of course culminated in the Paris Agreement, a landmark moment of hope and optimism when nations put differences to one side for the common good.
I pray with all my heart that COP28
Will be another critical turning point towards genuine transformational action at a time when already, as scientists have been warning for so long, we are seeing alarming tipping points being reached.
I've spent a large proportion of my life trying to warn of the existential threats facing us over global warming.
Over climate change and biodiversity loss.
But I was not alone.
For instance, Sheikh Mohammed's dear father, Sheikh Zayed, was advocating for clean energy at a time even before the United Arab Emirates as such came into being.
All these decades later, and despite all the attention
There is 30% more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than there was back then, and almost 40% more methane.
