Egypt’s Foreign Minister and President-Designate of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022, COP27, Sameh Shoukry has called for strengthening collective action to face climate change and transform climate pledges into a reality.
Shoukry made his remarks Thursday during the opening session of Arab Regional Forum to Finance Climate Action held by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Shoukry who joined virtually emphasised on the necessity of converting promises and agreements into partnerships that create real success stories in mitigating the effects of global climate change.
The president-designate stressed the importance of boosting cooperation between the five regional commissions of the UN Economic and Social Council and the Egyptian presidency of the COP27. This especially in the reduction of carbon emissions that cause climate change; and providing the necessary financing for countering the multifaceted effects of climate change.
The forum in Beirut is the fourth of five regional meetings launched by Egypt’s presidency of COP27, UN regional commissions, high-level champions, and Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to prepare for COP27.
Some of the participating ministers from Egypt include Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait, Minister of Planning Hala El-Said, and Amina Mohamed, UN deputy secretary-general, are participating in the meeting.
Notably, Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN climate change high-level champion for Egypt and UN special envoy on financing 2030 sustainable development agenda, delivered his speech at the event earlier in the day.
Mohieldin said cooperation between Arab countries can help overcome challenges and achieve climate targets, adding that he expects that the Arab forum will result in effective and applicable regional projects that can be financed.
Hopes are pinned on COP27 to turn climate-related pledges into action to help facilitate the transition to green energy in order to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change as per the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement – adopted at COP21 and signed by over 190 states including Egypt, came into effect in 2016 with the aim of limiting the rise in temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.