Cairo: Minister of Local Development and Environment Dr. Manal Awad reviewed on Sunday, July 19, 2026, the Istanbul Declaration issued during the D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Environment in Turkey, at the conclusion of her participation in the preparatory activities for the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31).
According to State Information Service Egypt, Awad stated that the declaration reaffirmed the member states' commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, and the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, considering different national circumstances.
She highlighted that the declaration reiterated the central role of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement as the foundation of the international climate architecture and the primary multilateral legal framework for addressing climate change.
Awad pointed out that the declaration introduced the "Istanbul Initiative for Climate Action and Sustainable Development," a voluntary framework aimed at strengthening cooperation among D-8 member states to enhance climate resilience, sustainable development, green investment, technological cooperation, and implementation-oriented partnerships leading up to COP31 and beyond.
The efforts to establish the D-8 Environmental and Climate Cooperation Platform were also emphasized by Awad, aimed at facilitating political dialogue, technical cooperation, information exchange, and coordinated participation in relevant international environmental and climate processes.
The declaration called for the creation of a practical roadmap for environmental cooperation within the D-8, focusing on areas such as climate adaptation, loss and damage, just transition, climate finance, the circular economy, climate-resilient cities, clean energy, biodiversity, sustainable water management, the green economy, and environmental education.
It stressed the urgency of addressing loss and damage as one of the most pressing challenges for vulnerable developing countries, advocating for the effective operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund.
The declaration also emphasized that a just, orderly, and equitable transition should drive sustainable development by enhancing energy security, industrial competitiveness, economic diversification, decent work, social inclusion, poverty reduction, and technological innovation, while respecting national circumstances and development priorities.
Furthermore, it underscored the importance of integrating climate resilience, clean energy, and sustainable urban development policies, alongside the development of climate-resilient cities through sustainable urban planning.
Highlighting the need for integrated waste management, resource efficiency, the circular economy, and sustainable waste management, the declaration aimed at reducing methane emissions, improving resource efficiency, and supporting climate mitigation efforts.
The declaration welcomed the proposed establishment of the global zero waste and methane fund, to be developed in cooperation with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with the goal of transforming the UN Zero Waste Initiative into an international financing mechanism to address the funding gap for waste management projects and methane emission reduction.
Finally, the declaration reaffirmed the green economy as a strategic pathway toward sustainable economic transformation and encouraged D-8 member states to strengthen cooperation in developing joint climate investment pathways, bankable regional projects, knowledge exchange, and innovative financing mechanisms capable of attracting international climate finance and private investment.