HSA Group partners with Yemen's Ministry of Water and Environment and the Environment Protection Authority to tackle climate vulnerability and build resilience

• HSA Group and Yemen's Ministry of Water and Environment sign the country's first climate action partnership at COP28.
• HSA Group and Yemen's Environment Protection Authority and Climate Change Unit will work together to develop new, innovative projects and programmes that promote and support climate change mitigation goals and increase the country's resilience to climate change.

DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at the 28^th Conference of the Parties (COP28), HSA Group and Yemen's Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Climate Change Unit (CCU), under the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), announced a new partnership to tackle climate change issues in Yemen and enhance climate finance mobilization in the country, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

Through the first climate action partnership between Yemen's public and private sectors, HSA Group and the EPA and CCU will work together to develop new, innovative projects and programmes that promote and support climate change mitigation goals and increase Yemen's resilience to climate change. The partnership will also support HSA Group's activity in Yemen to integrate policies and pursue new investments in technologies, by utilising multilateral climate fund resources such as Green Climate Funds (GCF), to enhance the Group's operational efficiency and help address climate change challenges facing the country.

This action is urgent as the consequences of climate change are already acute in Yemen. With extremely arid conditions and limited domestic food production, violent weather events and supply disruptions are exacerbating the effects of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, worsening food insecurity and inflicting further damage on the fragile economy.

As the national focal point of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its multilateral climate finance mechanisms, the EPA is responsible for coordinating climate projects in Yemen, through the CCU. HSA Group will work closely with the EPA and CCU to support vulnerable communities, mitigate ongoing challenges, and promote development projects which will help build long-term climate resilience and progress the green transition.

Under the agreement:

• HSA Group will receive support to further integrate and implement policies in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• The EPA and CCU will support the accreditation of HSA Group with multilateral climate funds, which will provide direct access to climate finance allocations.
• A mechanism will be developed for HSA Group to co-finance projects to support climate resilience in line with the procedures outlined by the climate funds.
• Capacity will be developed within both organisations to enable close collaboration and coordination on joint programmes, such as the establishment of low-emission infrastructure throughout HSA Group's Yemeni operations and supply chain, which may serve as an example for Yemen's private sector to follow.

Nabil Hayel Saeed Anam, Managing Director of HSA Group, Yemen Region, said:

"We are delighted to be partnering with Yemen's Environment Protection Authority and Climate Change Unit, under the Ministry of Water and Environment, to help create a sustainable future for our home market."

"The private sector has a fundamental role to play in mitigating the impacts of climate change and leveraging its expertise and capabilities to transform Yemen's climate resilience."

"As the largest private company in Yemen, we embrace this imperative for action and look forward to playing a leading role in tackling the immediate climate challenges facing Yemen and partnering with others to build our own capacity and capabilities to support Yemen's sustainable development and the green transition."

Mr.Taofig Alshargby, Minister of Water and Environment, Republic of Yemen, said:

"Climate change is a critical issue in Yemen and prompt action must be taken by all stakeholders, including the public and private sectors."

"Engagement from Yemen's private sector in climate action is crucial to increase the climate finance mobilization needed to address the key challenges, build resilience and support sustainable development across all relevant sectors."

"Through the new effective coordination mechanism, HSA Group, the Ministry of Water and Environment and the Environment Protection Authority hope to set a precedent to help encourage and drive action on climate change in Yemen."

Notes to editors

About HSA Group

Hayel Saeed Anam (HSA) Group was established in Yemen in 1938 by four brothers from the Saeed Anam family and is now one of the largest multinational conglomerates based in the Middle East, employing over 35,000 people across its operations. HSA Group remains a family-owned business and operates across various markets, including Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Africa.

As a key player in global trade networks, HSA Group is the parent organisation for over 70 operating companies. The Group's commercial activities include producing market-leading food and beverage brands, packaging, household goods and healthcare products, importing and manufacturing essential foodstuffs and commodities.

In its work to support diverse development and humanitarian initiatives in the Middle East and beyond, HSA Group partners with UN agencies and humanitarian organisations, such as the WFP and WHO, to support the delivery of public health, nutrition and food security programmes in Yemen.

About EPA

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is a public entity established based on law no: 101 in 2005. EPA is the national institution responsible for all the environmental issues in Yemen including climate change. As the governmental environmental body, EPA is the focal point of all the international environmental conventions including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Climate Change Unit (CCU) within EPA is the main coordination body of all the climate change activities in the country. Moreover, CCU is the Designated Authority and focal point of the Climate Finance operating entities especially, the Multilateral Climate Funds, such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Adaptation Fund (AF), etc. In partnership with the UN and international agencies, the EPA led and continues leading various environmental programmes to address environmental issues, in all sectors including but not limited to climate change, biodiversity, waste management, and land degradation. Currently, the EPA through CCU works on addressing climate change issues, by combating its impacts on vital sectors and supporting the transition into low-emission development pathways.

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SOURCE HSA Group