Egypt’s Minister of Environment, Dr. Yasmin Fouad, convened a pivotal coordination meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The meeting was attended by representatives from various relevant ministries to discuss the preparations for Egypt’s participation in the upcoming COP30 climate summit, scheduled to take place in Brazil later this year.
Dr. Yasmin Fouad was joined by Dr. Sayed Ismail, Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Communities, Ambassador Raouf Saad, Ministerial Advisor for Multilateral Agreements, Ambassador Tamer Mostafa, Director of the Environment, Climate, and Sustainable Development Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Amr Osama, Ministerial Advisor on Climate Change, and Ms. Soha Taher, Head of the Central Administration for Climate Change and International Cooperation. Representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Planning and Economic Development, Housing, Industry, Transport, Electricity and Renewable Energy, Petroleum, Agriculture, and other sectors also participated in the discussions.
In her opening remarks, Minister Fouad stressed the importance of coordinating between various ministries and sectors in Egypt as part of the preparation for updating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) plan. She emphasized the necessity of discussing the viewpoints of the different ministries, noting that each has its own portfolio and climate-related activities. Ministries such as Transport, Electricity, and Petroleum have specific goals and ambitions they seek to achieve within the updated plan, which is expected to be submitted before the COP30 summit.
Dr. Fouad highlighted the current challenges posed by the reduction in climate financing, which is a crucial component for implementing the commitments of developing countries under the Paris Agreement. She pointed out the detrimental impact of reduced financing commitments from some countries, which affects the international community’s ability to respond to climate change. This financial gap exacerbates the global rise in emissions, further damaging ecosystems in developing nations and worsening climate change issues, such as droughts, floods, and rising sea levels. To address these challenges, she emphasized the importance of building adaptive capacity.
Minister Fouad also underscored that the current period could present an opportunity for developing countries to explore new avenues for export, particularly to European and African markets, especially in sectors related to climate change. She highlighted the potential for Egypt to become a key exporter of renewable energy and hydrogen, particularly to European markets, by supporting carbon trading markets and enhancing collaboration with African countries on environmental issues.
The participants in the meeting expressed their deep appreciation for Dr. Yasmin Fouad’s leadership in convening this crucial coordination session. They recognized it as a proactive step towards preparing the updated NDCs before COP30 in Brazil, paving the way for the National Climate Change Council meeting, which will be chaired by Egypt’s Prime Minister. The meeting also focused on exploring ways to compensate for the financing shortfalls to address climate change issues.
The attendees emphasized the need for joint efforts across all relevant sectors to continue implementing climate-related projects and agreed on the importance of continued coordination meetings to ensure that Egypt’s national actions are aligned with global climate trends. They reiterated the necessity of ongoing dialogue and collaboration between all stakeholders to ensure Egypt’s continued commitment to addressing climate change at both the national and international levels.
