Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, held a coordination meeting today with the leadership and staff of the Central Department of Climate Change as part of Egypt’s preparations to participate in the COP30 climate change conference in Brazil. The meeting aimed to follow up on the department’s work and efforts to address the impacts and risks of climate change.

The meeting was part of a series of coordination meetings with the leadership and staff of the Ministry of Environment. The Central Department of Climate Change is a key national pillar for implementing Egypt’s climate commitments, enhancing coordination between governmental and international bodies, and achieving the goals of the National Climate Change Strategy. Attendees included Dr. Ali Abu Senna, Head of the Environmental Affairs Agency, Engineer Sherif Abdel Rahim, Assistant Minister for Climate Policies, Suha Taher, Head of the Central Department of Climate Change, and other leaders and staff.

During the meeting, Dr. Manal Awad reviewed the Ministry of Environment’s efforts to combat climate change and the international agreements and commitments Egypt is responsible for, which the Ministry coordinates with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fulfill. She also discussed the various coordination efforts with other ministries and entities. The ministry monitors sectoral work plans implemented by climate change units established in various ministries according to a Cabinet decision requiring all ministries and entities to prepare sectoral work plans to implement the National Climate Change Strategy 2050. These plans collect data on emission reductions, adaptation activities, capacity building, and research. The Central Department of Climate Change prepared an assessment report on the status of all ministries in dealing with climate change and developed a framework to assist all relevant ministries and entities in preparing sectoral work plans.

Steps are underway to prepare a strategic adaptation framework for climate change in Qena and Kafr El-Sheikh governorates in cooperation with GIZ.

Awad emphasized the necessity of coordinating with climate change units within ministries and various entities to conduct training courses for their staff to enhance their capabilities in addressing climate change, aiming to accelerate effective results on the ground.

Dr. Ali Abu Senna, CEO of the Environmental Affairs Agency, explained that the ministry is moving towards digitizing the monitoring, reporting, and verification system, which collects data on greenhouse gases from four sectors: agriculture and energy, industry, and waste. It also monitors mitigation and adaptation efforts by tracking the negative impacts of climate change in Egypt, such as heatwaves, cold spells, and untimely rainfall, assessing risks to affected sectors, primarily agriculture, and determining needs to address these risks.

Engineer Sherif Abdel Rahim, Assistant Minister for Climate Policies, highlighted the importance of the interactive map Egypt is implementing to identify areas most exposed to the negative effects of climate change, which is considered when developing development plans. He also stressed the importance of international agreements that help countries adapt and mitigate climate change effects through grants and aid provided to affected countries, noting Egypt’s commitment to fulfilling its international obligations and implementing its nationally determined contributions.

Suha Taher reviewed projects implemented by the ministry to combat climate change through cooperation with several donors, including the EU support program for growth through Egyptian environmental networks under the EU Green approach, the Transforming Financial Systems for Climate program (TFSC) funded by the French Development Agency and implemented by the UNDP, the preparation of Egypt’s first annual transparency report (1BTR) and the fifth national communication report (2BTR+5NC) under the UNFCCC funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by UNDP, the formulation and development of national adaptation plans funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by UNDP, the second phase of the project to eliminate hydrochlorofluorocarbon substances depleting the ozone layer funded by the Multilateral Fund for the Montreal Protocol and implemented by UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, and the German aid agency, and the institutional support project for the Montreal Protocol (ISP) funded by the Multilateral Fund and implemented by UNIDO.

The meeting also reviewed national reports prepared by Egypt as part of its international commitments under the Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement. Egypt has issued three national communications (1999, 2010, 2016) and is preparing the fourth report. It also issues biennial update reports (BUR, 2019) and transparency reports every two years. These reports are the cornerstone of Egypt’s commitments to the international community. Egypt submitted its first nationally determined contributions report, which included quantitative targets in the energy sector and non-quantitative targets in industry, buildings, cities, tourism, and waste sectors, focusing on adaptation measures in water resources, irrigation, agriculture, coastal areas, urban development, and tourism. It also established an early warning system and worked to increase adaptive capacity in the most vulnerable and marginalized areas. In June 2023, Egypt announced its second update to its contributions, targeting renewable energy to constitute 42% of the energy mix by 2030.