At the 2025 Egypt Energy Show (EGYPES), Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s Minister of Environment, took the stage to outline the nation’s efforts to expand its renewable energy sector. During her speech in the session titled “Aligning the Energy Crisis with Sustainability, Security, and Access to Financing,” she delved into the challenges and opportunities Egypt faces in balancing its climate commitments with renewable energy ambitions.
The session was attended by a distinguished group of leaders, including Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Phillip Whittaker, Deputy CEO of Harbour Energy, along with other officials and industry leaders from around the world.
A Historic Shift Towards Lower Carbon Emissions
Dr. Fouad emphasized the historic milestone of adopting the 2015 Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which laid the foundation for a global commitment to reduce carbon emissions. She explained that for developing countries like Egypt, meeting these goals presents a unique set of challenges, particularly the lack of access to the technologies needed for scaling up renewable energy solutions.
She noted that while global investment and financing mechanisms have helped to reduce the costs of renewable energy, the growing demand for energy—coupled with increased development activities—has led to rising emissions. This, in turn, has spurred extreme weather events, heatwaves, and flooding, further underscoring the need for urgent renewable energy solutions.
Affordable Renewable Energy for Developing Nations
Minister Fouad highlighted the significant challenge developing countries face in making renewable energy affordable without incurring further debt burdens. She pointed out that despite being among the lowest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, countries like Egypt are paying a disproportionate price as they struggle to adapt to the effects of climate change. However, the financial support necessary for these efforts remains limited.
She urged for greater involvement from both the private sector and international financial institutions to reduce risks associated with investing in renewable energy. Specifically, she mentioned the agriculture and water management sectors, where risk mitigation efforts are sorely needed to support the private sector.
Reforming Global Climate Financing
Dr. Fouad stressed the urgent need to reform global climate finance systems to help developing nations scale renewable energy technologies. “The current system is insufficient for meeting the needs of developing countries,” she said. “We need a new model that ensures these nations can localize and scale up renewable energy, accelerating their green transitions and empowering local communities.”
Egypt’s Success in Expanding Renewable Energy
Minister Fouad also took the opportunity to showcase Egypt’s progress in renewable energy, describing how the country has transformed challenges into opportunities. She highlighted Egypt’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2022 and 2023, which set a goal of generating 42% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. To achieve this target, Egypt has diversified its energy sources, including solar, wind, and waste-to-energy projects.
She pointed to the Benban Solar Park, one of the largest solar power plants in the world, as a major success. This project was made possible by updating energy tariffs and encouraging private sector participation. Additionally, Egypt introduced a feed-in tariff for waste-to-energy projects, creating an opportunity for further private sector investment.
A Coordinated National Approach to Sustainability
Dr. Fouad emphasized the importance of coordination among Egypt’s various governmental bodies. Through the establishment of the National Council for Climate Change, chaired by Egypt’s Prime Minister, key ministries are aligning their efforts to ensure consistent climate policies and foster collaboration with the private sector. This coordination has led to the launch of several initiatives aimed at improving energy efficiency and supporting medium and large-scale renewable energy projects.
Transparency and Progress: Egypt’s Emissions Reductions
In a notable achievement, Egypt submitted its first transparency report to the UNFCCC in late 2024, showing a 34% reduction in emissions due to updates in the renewable energy sector. The oil and gas sector achieved a 57% emissions reduction by adopting emission-reduction technologies, while the transport sector exceeded its emissions reduction targets with the introduction of electric mass transit systems.
Call for Global Action
In her closing remarks, Dr. Fouad called for a global transformation in climate financing, urging countries and international institutions to adopt principles such as “the polluter pays” and “green incentives.” She also called for greater diversification in renewable energy sources and the restructuring of global climate financing systems to ensure the realization of global climate targets and the protection of the planet for future generations.
