SAP and ChangeMaker Xchange Highlight Importance of Youth-Led Climate Change in Run-Up to COP28

• More than 35 young ChangeMakers from the Middle East are participating in the world’s most critical climate negotiations  

Manos Raptopoulos, President of Southern Europe Middle East and Africa at SAP, says that the selection of the UAE as this year’s host is testament to the Emirates’ commitment to fostering dialogue, sharing expertise, and driving global climate action. Raptopolous points to the importance of the dialogue being inclusive, emphasising the impact of climate change on youth.

Referring to UNICEF’s latest Heatwaves report, which reveals that by 2050, more than 2 billion children worldwide will face heightened exposure to increasingly frequent heatwaves, Raptopoulos points out that this dire reality magnifies health vulnerabilities like undernutrition, low birth weight, asthma, and mosquito-borne diseases. An additional report by UNICEF highlights how 90% of the global burden of disease associated with climate change is borne by children under the age of five.