The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) is full of innovative initiatives that embody the UAE’s commitment to raising public awareness of the importance of climate change and the need to adopt sustainable community practices that support climate action.
In a unique move in the history of COPs, the 28th Conference of the Parties at Expo City Dubai will offer the first 1.5° C-aligned menu as part of its objective of making the conference carbon-neutral. The venue hosted many food outlets that provide food services to participants in a sustainable and climate and environmentally-responsible manner.
More than 90 food and beverage outlets will showcase a diverse range of cuisines, including a unique 100 per cent vegan food truck park and Alkebulan, the world’s first African dining hall.
These outlets attracted a huge turnout of visitors, who emphasised the importance of this initiative in raising awareness, especially among young generations, of adopting sustainable practices in everyday life. Climate change is now an existential issue for all members of society, and everyone must fulfill their responsibilities in protecting planet Earth.
To ensure menus are climate-conscious and sustainable, COP28 mandates caterers to minimise waste, use sustainable packaging, provide training, and recycle where possible. COP28 is working with Expo City Dubai, Dubai World Trade Centre and Erth to ensure FB vendors are supported as much as possible in achieving the challenging Sustainable Catering Strategy. Several families, who made sure to visit Expo City Dubai to learn about the COP events, expressed their happiness with the experience of sustainable food, which also received great acclaim among children and young people, noting that this initiative is an outstanding initiative that should be adopted as a daily practice by the community.
The COP28 Catering Team has been working with Nutritics to support FB vendors by providing access to its platform to enable vendors to calculate the carbon and water intensity of menu items. Caterers have been asked to ensure that at least 50 per cent of food served falls within sustainable limits for carbon and water intensity, as well as aligning with UAE guidelines on macronutrients.
(with inputs from ANI)
