At a High-Level Ministerial Dialogue for Culture-Based Climate Action, Prince Rahim, Chairman of AKDN's Climate and Environment Committee, collaborated with global leaders to explore strategies for integrating culture into the heart of climate action. The dialogue was hosted by His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, the UAE Minister of Culture and Youth, and His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, President of COP 28 and the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Prince Rahim also met with His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs; Her Excellency Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, the UAE Minister for International Cooperation; Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, President of Bahrain’s Authority for Culture and Antiquities.

At the conference, AKDN agencies are seeking to bring attention to the plight of vulnerable communities at the forefront of the climate crisis, and to mobilise resources to help them adapt to our changing world. The Aga Khan Foundation helped launch new initiatives to fast track education transformation across 10 countries, help put teachers at the centre of our educational response to the climate crisis, and work with international development agencies to advance climate education in Tanzania.

The Aga Khan Health Services and the Aga Khan University hosted an event at the WHO Health Pavilion to explore how to reduce the health sector’s carbon emissions, while HBL joined an innovative alliance to support developing countries' transition to green economies. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat is convening discussions to help improve the understanding and management of long-term climate risks in the mountains of Central and South Asia.

One of the 197 countries represented at COP this year is Portugal, who for the first time has its own pavilion at the conference. Portugal hosted an event entitled “Portuguese Foundations: Front Runners in the Climate Transition,” at which Nazim Ahmad, Diplomatic Representative of the Ismaili Imamat to Portugal, joined Mr Duarte Cordeiro, Minister of Environment and Climate Action, and other representatives from AKDN to discuss Portugal’s efforts to combat climate change.

As the conference unfolds, the world watches eagerly for outcomes and initiatives that will create positive and lasting change for the future of humanity.