Oct 26, 2023

Eurovent Certita Certification’s Senior Technical Manager, Dr. Ali Alexandre Nour Eddine, had the pleasure of being a guest at the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week (MENACW 2023), from 8th-12th October 2023. Organised by UN Climate Change in collaboration with global partners UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme, and the World Bank Group, the event was hosted by the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the city of Riyadh. Local partners included the International Renewable Energy Agency, Islamic Development Bank, the League of Arab States Secretariat, and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

MENACW 2023 offered a packed schedule of events throughout the full five days, designed to shine a spotlight on challenges and solutions in a region that is among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. With the purpose of discussing climate solutions ahead of COP28, the topics covered by MENACW 2023 participants will help to inform the ‘global stocktake.’ The first of which is due to conclude at COP 28 in UAE in December this year. The global stocktake offers a unique opportunity to call for decisive and inclusive change, and for urgently responding to the need for accelerating progress across all areas of the Paris Agreement.

MENACW 2023 focused on four main systems-based ‘tracks’ with a view to provide region-focused contributions to inform the global stocktake. The tracks include:

• Energy systems and industry
• Cities, urban and rural settlements, infrastructure and transport
• Land, ocean, food and water
• Societies, health, livelihoods, and economies

Dr. Ali Alexandre Nour Eddine found the presentations with the ‘Energy systems and industry’ track of particular interest, where the key themes explored were:

• Planning and implementing policies and actions for the energy transition towards efficient and low GHG emission energy systems
• Support for implementation and enabling environment to address barriers to action: Financial, technological and capacity-building needs in the area of energy transition
• Innovation - promoting sustainable development.

MENA Climate Week is the second of four Regional Climate Weeks taking place in 2023. The events provide a platform for governments, businesses, practitioners, and civil society to showcase ongoing projects, policies, and practices that are already effecting positive change, inspiring others to follow suit.

Find out more about MENA Climate Week.