Sharjah 24 – WAM: Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, toured the Panama Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, themed ‘An introduction to the endless opportunities in Panama’.

Any Lam Chong, Director of the Panama Pavilion, welcomed Minister of Climate Change and the Environment and accompanied her on the tour.

Through a virtual reality cruise on the iconic Panama Canal, the Minister experienced a journey across the man-made wonder that links the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and connects the two Americas to the rest of the world. As a major water passage for international maritime trade, the Panama Canal provides an ideal gateway for UAE companies to Latin America.

The Minister discussed topics related to environmental protection with officials in charge of the Panama Pavilion.

They briefed her on the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), in which it commits to reducing its energy sector emissions by 11.5 percent by 2030 and 24 percent by 2050 compared to business as usual.

These reductions represent savings of 10 million tons of CO2 equivalent accumulated between 2022-2030 and 60 million tons of CO2 equivalent accumulated between 2022-2050.

Moreover, Panama plans to restore 50,000 hectares of national forests, which will contribute to absorbing around 2.6 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2050.

Almheiri learned about the nature-based solutions that Panama leverages to address climate change, and the country’s efforts to protect the environment in the Panama Canal Watershed and coastal and marine areas. The discussion also involved marine waste management.

Almheiri praised the participation of Ramón E. Martínez de la Guardia, Panama’s Minister of Commerce and Industries, and Erika Mouynes, Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Visions and Journeys, a series of inspirational talks tackling gender stereotypes and presenting ideas for a gender-equal future at the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.