President Bola Tinubu has met with British monarch King Charles III in Dubai, ahead of the climate COP28 summit.
“I am optimistic about the positive impact our joint efforts will have on our planet’s future,” the Nigerian President said.
Sharing insights of the meeting on his official X handle, Tinubu touted the meeting as productive, emphasizing strengthened Nigeria-UK ties and shared dedication to climate advocacy.
President Tinubu expressed confidence in setting an equitable global standard for environmental stewardship at the upcoming COP28.
“I had a productive meeting with His Majesty, King Charles III of England who is also the Head of the Commonwealth, and a passionate climate advocate.
“The meeting was a significant step in strengthening the partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and I am optimistic about the positive impact our joint efforts will have on our planet’s future as we look forward to setting an equitable global standard for environmental stewardship at #COP28 COP28,” Tinubu added.
It is the first meeting between both leaders since Tinubu became president and the King’s coronation.
The COP28 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change opened on Thursday in Dubai, with a call to accelerate collective climate action.
The conference is taking place in a year climate scientists said is the hottest ever in human history.
Experts also say the impact of the climate crisis has wreaked unprecedented havoc on human lives and livelihoods around the world.
“We are living through climate collapse in real-time,” António Guterres said, imploring world leaders to act.
The climate summit is being attended by over 160 world leaders.
The talks in Dubai come at a pivotal moment for the planet, with emissions still rising and the UN on Thursday declaring 2023 on track to become the hottest year in human history.
Meanwhile, COP28 opened with ‘Historic’ Launch of Loss and Damage Fund, with Nearly 200 nations agreed Thursday to launch a fund to support countries hit by global warming, in a “historic” moment at the start of UN climate talks in the oil-rich UAE.
The announcement came as the Emirati host of the COP28 talks declared that fossil fuels must be part of any climate deal negotiated over the next two weeks.
The talks in Dubai come at a pivotal moment for the planet, with emissions still rising and the UN on Thursday declaring 2023 on track to become the hottest year in human history.
The formal establishment of the “loss and damage” fund long sought by climate-vulnerable nations provided an early win at COP28, where sharp divisions over the phasing out of fossil fuels were immediately apparent.
“We have delivered history today,” said COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber as delegates embraced and cheered.
Jaber said it was “the first time a decision has been adopted on day one of any COP and the speed in which we have done so is also unique, phenomenal and historic.
“This is evidence that we can deliver. COP28 can and will deliver,” he said.
Leaders have been urged to move more quickly to a clean energy future and make deeper cuts to emissions, with the world off-track to keep global temperature rises below agreed levels.
A central focus of COP28 will be a stocktake of the world’s limited progress on curbing global warming, which requires an official response at these talks.
