Transitioning to Green Law Enforcement: COP28 Green Zone Panel Presents Best Practices for Responding to Climate Change and Green Policing

• Hosted by the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for the Climate (I2LEC), discussions focused on the role of law enforcement in addressing climate change and ensuring a sustainable future for vulnerable communities across the world.
• Lt. Col. Abdulrahman Al Tamimi, Deputy Director General of the International Affairs Bureau at the UAE Ministry of Interior, opened the event, reflecting on the work of I2LEC to date in elevating these issues, as well as plans for its future initiatives.
• These remarks were followed by a panel discussion, during which I2LEC partners shared their insights on the tactics and strategies required to support law enforcement in the fight against climate change and tackle the scourge of environmental crime.

DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC) has concluded an event in the Green Zone of COP28, focused on the critical importance of preparing law enforcement for the impacts of climate change and addressing the important issue of environmental crime. Law enforcement's participation in the event is a historic first for COP, representing the first-time law enforcement organisations from across the world are present and contributing to international climate dialogues.

Speakers engaged in a panel discussion offering their expert analyses and diverse perspectives on how the transition to green law enforcement could take place, positing solutions for how to increase law enforcement preparedness, training, and awareness. Speakers represented organisations including the UAE Ministry of the Interior, UNODC, INTERPOL, ESRI, UNPOL, the UAE's Executive Office of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism, the Dubai Civil Defence Force, and the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Various I2LEC initiatives were presented during the event, including the global research paper on law enforcement's response to climate change, an update on INTERPOL's joint operations seeking to tackle the scourge of environmental crime, the Global Environmental Crimes Heatmap and preparedness assessment, the UN Climate Observers Unit and a presentation on the role of technology in supporting law enforcement in combatting climate change.

Commenting on the success of the event, Lt. Col. Abdulrahman Al Tamimi, Deputy Director General of the International Affairs Bureau at the UAE Ministry of Interior said:

"For too long, the challenges law enforcement experience in the face of a rapidly changing climate have been ignored. However, today has demonstrated that while there is a journey ahead of us, there is significant global momentum behind elevating law enforcement's role in the fallout of from climate change. I would like to thank our esteemed and valued partners at UNODC, ESRI, INTERPOL, ESRI, UNPOL and the United States Department of Homeland Security for their insightful contributions to this historic event. As we look ahead, we must continue to fight for, and support, law enforcement in their capacity as one of the first lines of defence on the frontlines of climate change".

Address the need for a multifaceted approach to building law enforcement capacity to deal with climate-related issues, Aymeric Salamone (UNODC Regional Law Enforcement expert for the GCC) said:

"It has been a honour to attend this historic event and COP and the work of I2LEC is evidently already having an impact on law enforcement and their awareness, preparedness and understanding of climate related issues. I commend our partners in this initiative on their hard work so far and look forward to seeing what we can continue achieve in the years to come".

The initiatives shared during the Green Zone event at COP form the I2LEC 2023-2025 plan, which will be led by the United Arab Emirates and UNODC, working with a wide range of additional partners and stakeholders.

About I2LEC

I2LEC was launched in February 2023 on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai, where Lieutenant General H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE, and H.E. Ghada Waly, the Executive Director of the UNODC, reached a high-level agreement to launch a global initiative, aimed at awareness-raising, capacity-building and research with respect to crimes that affect the environment and climate change.  

I2LEC weaves into the UAE's wider commitment to advance global cooperation on environmental causes. The UAE was the first country in the region to ratify the historic Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 during the COP21. 2023 is the "Year of Sustainability" in the UAE, to foster a global collaboration in seeking innovative solutions to climate-related challenges and hosting COP28.  

I2LEC will also benefit from the long-standing strategic partnership between the UAE and UNODC on supporting the global efforts against organized crime as well as from UNODC's vast expertise built through the Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment.