Leaders of UAE and South Korea join celebrations at Barakh point, issue joint declaration on climate change

 

Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today visited the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, UAE, to celebrate the completion of Unit 3 and see how the plant is progressing.

The recent signing of a number of government-level agreements and the Presidential visit is part of efforts to strengthen the Special Strategic Partnership between the UAE and South Korea.

The Barakah Plant, the first civil nuclear energy plant in the Arab World and the biggest source of clean electricity in the area, was commended by the two leaders for its extraordinary accomplishments over the course of more than a decade.

The Barakah Plant, which produces clean, zero-emission electricity and sustainably powers the UAE, was visited by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Yoon. The two leaders observed the continued operation of Units 1 and 2, the completion of Unit 3, and the advancements made on Unit 4 in order to hasten the UAE's clean energy transition.

These developments will enable the UAE to produce the carbon-free baseload electricity it needs around the clock to support its renewable energy projects and realise its goal of reaching Net Zero by the year 2050.

The leaders met with the teams working at Barakah, which included teams of international experts working side by side with Emirati and Korean nuclear energy professionals.

Additionally, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea stated in a Joint Declaration on Climate Action that climate change is one of the biggest problems the world is currently experiencing because of its detrimental effects on the social, environmental, economic, and security facets.

The two nations emphasised that geopolitical issues, the energy and food crises, and the effects of the global pandemic should not have an impact on our collective commitment to combating climate change.

This occurred during Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the UAE. Yoon Suk Yeol is the President of the Republic of Korea.

The leaders of both nations agreed that one of the biggest problems today is climate change, which has an impact on the global economy, the environment, society, security, and human rights. They emphasised that the current geopolitical environment, the food and energy crises, and the lingering effects of the global pandemic should not stand in the way of our commitment as a society to combating climate change.

Furthermore, they decided to support national and group efforts to address the climate crisis. Regarding this, they reiterated their willingness to collaborate bilaterally and in the context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes in order to ensure the successful implementation of each country's 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and 2050 net-zero emission goals. They also acknowledged the pressing need to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C temperature goal.

The Leaders acknowledged the importance of forests as a stabilising force for the climate, an efficient carbon sink, a facilitator for ecosystem regulation, a safeguard for biodiversity, and a nature-based response to climate change. The Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which was released at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, was one of the worldwide declarations and promises on forests that they reiterated their commitment to implementing with greater ambition.