His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi made the statement at a Ghaf tree planting ceremony at the Royal Botanical Garden in the Spanish capital, Madrid. The ceremony was organized by the UAE Embassy in Spain and the Spanish National Research Council, the entity that manages the botanical garden, on the sidelines of the 25^th Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which concludes today in Madrid.

He said: “The UAE is a beacon of solidarity and peaceful coexistence, with over 200 nationalities living together in harmony. Through initiatives like these, we hope to increase public understanding that the concept of tolerance is not limited to human interactions and includes in its scope the peaceful coexistence of people and their surrounding environment.”

His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi added: “The Ghaf tree is the national tree of the UAE. Ghaf trees received a special attention from the founding father of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who planted thousands of them and issued legislations that made it illegal to cut them down. Selecting the Ghaf tree as the theme of the Year of Tolerance adds greater momentum to our efforts to convey the message of tolerance towards the environment.”

The Minister gave an overview of the benefits of the tree, such as providing fodder for animals, helping in producing honey, and providing traditional remedies that people relied on for generations.

Moreover, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi participated in a panel entitled ‘Reaching Net Zero: Learning from International Experiences with Climate Legislation’.

The panel discussion aimed to increase awareness of the importance of legislation in delivering energy transition goals and to share successful existing experiences with designing and implementing climate change laws. It was organized by ACCIONA, a leader in providing sustainable solutions for infrastructure and renewable energy projects across the world, and the Elcano Royal Institute, a think tank specialized in international and strategic studies conducted from a Spanish, European and global perspective.

Speaking on the UAE’s experience in drafting climate laws and strategies, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “The National Climate Change Plan 2050 and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 are guiding our approach to reducing GHG emissions and encouraging green low-carbon economy. Furthermore, we are currently working on a climate change law that is expected to come into effect in 2020. The law will further increase our climate ambition through targeting all dimensions of climate action.”

His Excellency Majed Hassan Al Suwaidi, the UAE Ambassador to Spain, said: “The UAE has early on adopted a can-do approach in tackling common challenges facing the international community in its pursuit of ensuring prosperity of all mankind. Climate change certainly tops the list of these challenges, and we are pleased to see that the UAE participation in COP25, under the leadership of His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi, has reinforced the collective climate action.”  

He added: “The UAE presents an integrated, successful model for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and perceives climate action as a promising opportunity for growth across all sectors. Through their participation in COP25’s main and side events, the UAE delegates shared their insights on the ingredients of successful climate action, and gave a clarion call to expedite and intensify efforts to support developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.”   

And on the Ghaf tree planting ceremony he took part in, the Ambassador said: “The Ghaf tree planting ceremony was a symbolic gesture that reflected on the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding biodiversity and promoting the principal of tolerance, as the tree represents the symbol of the UAE’s Year of Tolerance.”

Reaffirming the role of youth in driving forward climate efforts, the Minister headlined two engagements with youth. The first was delivering a lecture to master's and doctoral programs students of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He provided an overview to the integrated approach the UAE has adopted to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, since the country’s inception. The second youth engagement was meeting with the UAE young delegates to COP25, to reflect on their experience and takeaways from the event. 

On the sidelines of COP25, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi held multiple bilateral meetings with top officials, including Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UNFCCC, His Excellency Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of China, and His Excellency Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources of Singapore.