CAIRO, March 13 (MENA) – Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad held an expanded meeting Thursday at the ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital with a number of representatives of concerned ministries to discuss national coordination regarding Egypt’s participation in the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) set for Brazil.
Advisor to the Minister for Environment for Multilateral Agreements ambassador Raouf Ismail, Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Communities Sayed Ismail, Director of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ambassador Tamer Mostafa, Advisor to the Minister for Climate Change Amr Osama, head of the Central Administration for Climate Change and International Cooperation Soha Taher as well as representatives of number of ministries took part in the meeting.
The minister of environment stressed the importance of holding this meeting to coordinate between the various ministries and sectors as regards preparation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) update plan, highlighting the need to further discuss the various viewpoints before starting to update the plan.
According to Fouad each ministry has its file and activities, along with goals to achieve in the plan, whether the plan updated for 2023 or the one expected to be delivered before the UNFCCC COP 30 slated for the end of 2025.
She explained that the meeting reviewed a number of negative impacts, in light of the reduction in climate finance, which is a key element in
implementing developing countries’ commitments under the Paris Agreement, as well as efforts to implement vital climate projects that has become a challenge due to diminishing commitments from other countries.
All challenges negatively impact the international community’s response to combating climate change, increases global emissions and their impact on developing countries’ ecosystems and exacerbates climate change problems, such as drought, floods, and sea level rise, thus requiring efforts to build capacity to adapt to these impacts, she said.
The minister of environment added that the current period could be an opportunity for developing countries, in light of the scarcity of funding to open new horizons and opportunities for export to European and African markets, especially in sectors related to climate change and to strengthen the carbon market.
The lack of funding for African countries could also lead to supporting the voluntary market for trading carbon credits, which would enable Egypt to become a major source of renewable energy in industrial projects and increase the export of hydrogen in particular to European markets, Fouad said.
She also referred to Egypt’s promoting cooperation with African countries on environmental issues and its role in international negotiations.
For their part – representatives of the various ministries taking part in the meeting – expressed their great appreciation to the minister of environment for holding this important meeting; being a proactive step towards preparing for and finalizing the NDCs updated plan, in preparation for the meeting of the National Council for Climate Change (NCCCS) to be chaired by the prime minister to complete it before COP30 summit in Brazil and to discuss ways to compensate for the financial aspect of confronting climate change issues.
Participants also emphasized the need for concerted efforts on the climate change issue and coordination among all relevant parties to determine priorities and alternatives for the Egyptian State to continue implementing climate change projects.
It is essential to continue coordination meetings held by the Ministry of Environment to ensure close monitoring of all national measures and international developments related to the climate issue, they added. (MENA)
