Delivered By: Ms. Fatema Yousuf, Acting Deputy Permanent Representative

Excellencies, Mr. President,

Thank you to Denmark, Ethiopia, Norway, Pakistan, UN DESA and UNDP for co-organizing this event. Having helped establish the International Day of Clean Energy in 2023, it remains close to our hearts.

2025 saw the revelation of increasingly alarming data on the climate crisis, but despite this, a constant source of hope is that the clean energy revolution continues to accelerate. Fortunately, the power of economic opportunity is overcoming even the most challenging political conditions, with investment in renewables climbing ever higher, and 90% of new clean power being cheaper than the lowest-cost alternative.

For the UAE the message remains clear: a transition to clean energy is morally right, scientifically necessary, and also an immense economic and technological opportunity for future generations.

Even as a traditionally fossil-fuel based economy, our installed renewable capacity recorded growth of 117% between 2022 and 2025. Of course, it is especially critical to see clean energy growth in global regions where many still lack access to electricity. UAE company Masdar continues to invest across Africa and SIDS, and just recently announced it has reached global capacity of 65 gigawatts of clean energy, as it heads towards its goal of 100 GW by 2030.

Looking ahead, of particular importance for us is continued progress towards the COP28 UAE Consensus goals of tripling renewable capacity, doubling energy efficiency, and transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner. We commend the COP30 Brazil Presidency for leading initiatives towards these goals. And we wish all success to Türkiye and their partners in Australia and the Pacific as they begin their road to COP31.

With these goalposts in mind, we believe that continued pragmatic focus on implementation and collaboration within clean energy presents one of the best hopes for achieving as close as possible to the 1.5 target.

The UAE will continue to stand ready as a partner to all those working towards clean energy that safeguards our future.

Thank you.