Minister of Oil joined the Executive Secretary of the Climate Change Convention, members of the Board of Directors and Participants in the Board of the 21st Green Climate Fund

​The Minister of Oil joined the Executive Secretary of the Climate Change Convention, members of the Board of Directors and Participants in the Board of the 21^st Green Climate Fund

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, met on the evening of Tuesday, 16 October 2018, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), board members and participants in the 21^st Green Climate Fund (GCF) meeting, which is hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, represented by The National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA), as the first country in the Western Asia region to host such event, during the period 17-20 October 2018, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. As there was a wide participation of representatives of official states and relevant international organizations from various countries of the world and selected officials in the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and CEO's and managers from different oil and gas companies under NOGA's umbrella. The Kingdom of Bahrain is represented by NOGA, which is the first non-member of the Board of Directors of the GCF that embraces such an important event, and this meeting is the first to be hosted by an oil company, reflecting the commitment of the Bahraini oil sector to meet international best practices and standards in environment and climate change.

At the reception, H.E. the Minister of Oil delivered a speech, through which he congratulated H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the country; in having the Kingdom of Bahrain introduce the 21^st meeting of the GCF as the first Gulf country, with a broad participation of representatives from relevant international organizations to facilitate the access of funding resources for vital projects in addressing the phenomenon of climate changes.

H.E. the Minister of Oil highly appreciated the role played by the Kingdom of Bahrain at the regional and international level, in addressing the phenomenon of climatic changes. The active participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain in international diplomacy aimed at implementing what was agreed in the Paris climate.

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 during the meetings, as well as a number of panel discussions and bilateral meetings between the fund, governments and international organizations.

In his speech, H.E. the Minister 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 this board meeting of the GCF in Bahrain 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 the Paris 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).

Afterwards, there was a speech given by the guest of honour, H.E. Ms. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where she expressed her great pleasure in being in the Kingdom of Bahrain and witnessing a number of vital and developmental projects, the latest of which was the inauguration of the Wetlands and Hunainiyah Projects, in Sakhir area.

On the other hand, HE Mr. 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 the tireless efforts of NOGA's team in hosting this important event, which indicates the Kingdom of Bahrain 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. The Kingdom of Bahrain has excelled in the international and middle eastern region in the industry of conferences and specialized exhibitions. H.E. noted the importance of meetings and side events between participants and specialists in this important global event as a unique and high-level platform to share knowledge, opinions and experiences.

It should be noted that the GCF was established at the Sixteenth Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2010. The headquarters of its secretariat is located in Songdo, Incheon, West Seoul, South Korea, where the fund promotes a paradigm shift towards low-emission development pathways adaptable to climate change. The GCF provides fund and support to the developing countries, in order to reduce Greenhouse gases (GHG), emissions of harmful gases and to adapt to the effects of climate change. It is supervised by 24 members from the board of directors of various nationalities representing developing and equally developed countries, to help developing countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Projects and programs proposed by developing countries are financed while ensuring that they are managed in a transparent manner, as funds available within the GCF, as a whole, are voluntary contributions from developed countries as well as contributions from a number of developing countries.