Bahrain Oil Minister meets UNFCCC executive secretary

Manama, Oct. 17 (BNA): Oil Minister, Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, met the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), board members and participants in the 21st Green Climate Fund (GCF) meeting. The meeting is hosted by Bahrain, represented by The National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA), as the first country in the Western Asia region to hold such an event on October 17-20. It reflects the commitment of the Bahraini oil sector to meet international best practices and standards in environment and climate change. As there was a wide participation of representatives of official states and relevant international organisations from various countries of the world and selected officials in the government of the Kingdom, and CEO’s and managers from different oil and gas companies under NOGA’s umbrella. The minister congratulated His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, on introducing the 21st meeting of the GCF in Bahrain as the first Gulf country, with a broad participation of representatives from relevant international organisations to facilitate the access of funding resources for vital projects in addressing the phenomenon of climate changes. He highly appreciated the active participation of the Kingdom in international diplomacy aimed at implementing what was agreed in the Paris Climate Agreement. The meeting focuses on discussing the support and funding provided by the GCF to the countries, in order to assist them in implementing their climate change adaptation and mitigation projects, and the ways and procedures required to obtain funding. Investment opportunities for adaptation and mitigation projects for each state will also be presented, as well as a number of panel discussions and bilateral meetings between the fund, governments and international organisations. Shaikh Mohammed explained that climate change has become one of the most important issues that have become the top priority of international agendas because they are closely linked to development and energy issues. The results of the GCF meeting will send positive or negative messages to the conference of the parties on climate change in Poland (Katowice 2018), which will be the beginning of the launch of Paris Climate Agreement, ensuring that the developed countries should submit their financial commitments to developing countries, estimated at $100 billion annually, especially for climate-related adaptation projects (Adaptation), and the Bahrain meeting will discuss financial innovations (replenishment). Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, expressed her great pleasure in witnessing a number of vital and developmental projects, the latest of which was the inauguration of the Wetlands and Hunainiyah Projects, in Sakhir area. Paul Hkost, Chairman of the Green Climate Fund for Developing Countries, and Ambassador Lernant Pach, Chairman of the Green Climate Fund for Developed Countries praised Bahrain’s good reputation and the tireless efforts in the areas of adaptation and mitigating of the effects of changes and fulfilment of their commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement.