Egypt’s Minister of Planning meets UN Assistant Secretary-General on Climate Action

Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, met with Mr. Selwin Hart, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action, in preparation for Egypt's hosting of the 27th  session of the Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2022.


During the meeting, El-Said explained that Egypt is among the countries most affected by climate change, despite its low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.


El-Said pointed out that the devastating impact of climate change is already present everywhere in the world, from rising temperatures, rising sea levels, land degradation, and erosion, and water scarcity.


El-Said added that these crises represent significant risks to livelihoods, public health, supply chains, infrastructure, agriculture, and food security, which may lead to the reversal of development gains that have been achieved with great effort, and put more pressure on the economy.


El-Said emphasized the Egyptian state’s interest in water as one of the main priorities and concerns, noting that although “water” is not mentioned in the Paris Agreement, it remains an integral part of the fight against climate change, which is now having an increasing impact on water security.


On national efforts to address climate change, El-Said indicated that the Egyptian government is working through a participatory approach that engages relevant stakeholders on the governance of policies to address climate change.


This is done by working on updating the sustainable development strategy (Egypt Vision 2030) and launching the structural reform program that focuses on the real economy, especially the sectors of industry, agriculture, and information and communication technology.

 Moreover, the aforementioned participatory approach can be done by applying "environmental sustainability criteria" to increase green projects in the national investment plan.


El-Said explained that the Egyptian government aims to reach 50%-60% of green projects by 2024/2025, including projects in the areas of clean transportation, water, and sanitation improvement, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

El-Said also referred to Egypt's launch of its first "Green Bonds" worth $750 million, as a leading country in this regard in the Middle East and Africa region (MENA).

“The development of the national strategy for climate change is being completed based on the directives of the Supreme Council for Climate Change headed by the Prime Minister, as well as the formulation of the “National Hydrogen Strategy” to encourage the use of blue and green hydrogen as a low-emission energy source to zero,” She added.


On the partnership with the United Nations, El-Said stressed that the Egyptian government's belief that the participatory approach, which includes all relevant stakeholders and development partners, especially the United Nations, is a key factor in strengthening efforts to address climate change and achieve sustainable development.


El-Said reviewed some models of fruitful partnerships between Egypt, regional organizations, and development partners.


El-Said noted that Egypt is currently ready to launch the "National Report on Financing for Development” in partnership with the League of Arab States, to identify the needs, gaps, opportunities, and challenges to confront climate change and achieve sustainable development.


El-Said stressed the aspiration for a comprehensive partnership with the United Nations to support Egypt's efforts in addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development.

El-Said explained that Egypt is implementing several projects to adapt to climate change.


Selwin Hart, UN Assistant Secretary-General, cited the UN Climate Panel's view that "strong and sustained" reductions in carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions will limit climate change.


Hart stressed the need for more ambitious mitigation efforts to combat climate change and mitigation measures over the next decade and stressed the keenness of the United Nations to cooperate with Egypt and create a role model in cooperation to deal with climate change.