Sisi: We must move quickly, coherently to meet climate pledges

22 / 09 / 2022

By Marwa Nassar - -

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said the world must move quickly to meet climate commitments for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience, boosting climate finance for developing countries.

“Perhaps the floods resulting in unprecedented damage and loss of life in the friendly State of Pakistan recently and the unprecedented forest fires caused by rising temperatures in the European continent and the United States, are a harsh harbinger of what the future of our children and grandchildren will be like unless we move quickly and coherently to meet climate pledges for cutting emissions, building resilience, and boosting climate finance for developing countries.”

This came in the president’s speech at the Closed Meeting of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change.

As Egypt is hosting the 27^th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November, President Sisi spelled out Egypt’s vision on climate action to pave the ground for COP27 to come up with tangible results.

The president expounded three key elements of Egypt’s climate vision for COP27. “First – As an international community, aside from any global condition or political dispute, we will not renege on the commitments we have taken on, the pledges we have made, and the policies we have adopted that have already made significant gains in the face of climate change.”

“Second- As world leaders, we are fully aware that the efforts made do not meet what is required to be achieved. We will take all necessary measures to fulfill our commitments whether by raising ambition and updating our nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, or by supporting all efforts and initiatives aimed at promoting climate action, in partnership with all state and non-state actors including the civil society, banks, international financial institutions and the global private sector. These parties are indispensable in this confrontation,” the president said.

“Third – As an international community, we are fully aware of the burden placed on the developing and least developed countries. What they must face in order to fulfill their climate commitments, while continuing to make development efforts and eradicate poverty in light of unprecedented food and energy crises, is enormous,” the president added.

The president said “the developed countries pledge to expedite implementation of our commitments toward these countries to provide climate finance in favor of emissions reduction and adaptation and resilience building. This is to be achieved whether by fulfilling the $100 billion pledge and doubling funding for adaptation, or by arriving at a consensus -as soon as possible- on the new funding target, beyond 2025.”

The president said the food, energy and supply chains challenges have, undoubtedly, placed additional burdens on all of our countries, especially the developing ones.

“However, we must always rely on objective scientific reports that unequivocally confirm that climate change remains the most dangerous existential challenge facing our planet and that its repercussions are exacerbating, day after day, as temperature increases,” the president highlighted.