President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said Friday the peoples around the globe are waiting for tangible results from the upcoming World Climate Summit (COP27).

They are looking for a real change that turns negotiations and pledges into actual steps at all levels to put into fore the targets of the Paris Agreement, especially the goal to limit global warming to well below 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, President Sisi told the virtual leader-level meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) hosted by US President Joe Biden.

Egypt-hosted COP 27 provides an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to enhancing efforts to confront climate change and adapt to its negative impact and to build on the international momentum and the available political will by all parties for this purpose, President Sisi said.

Egypt is fully aware of the responsibility entrusted to it as the COP 27 president, and is aware that the peoples around the world are looking forward to tangible results that contribute to bringing about real change on the ground that helps move them from the stage of negotiating texts and announcing pledges to the stage of practical implementation on all levels to attain the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, he added.

Egypt will continue to make every effort to urge all parties to cherish the ambition of their climate action by reviewing and updating their national contributions to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and supporting their long-term plans and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal with the negative impacts of climate change, Sisi said.

Cairo has recently launched the National Climate Change Strategy 2050, and is currently finalizing its updated national contributions, which will include specific, ambitious and quantitative goals in key sectors, to reflect efforts made by Egypt to achieve a fair transition towards a green economy and renewable energy in an appropriate manner that paves the way for turning Egypt into a regional energy hub, President Sisi said.

Despite the governments’ key role in the global effort to confront climate change, this serious challenge has exceeded their ability to act alone, Sisi said.

During its COP 27 chairmanship, Egypt will work to keep pace with all voices, visions and trends, and to establish real partnerships between governments and non-governmental actors, including financial institutions and international and civil society organizations, he added.

“We will work in partnership with all the bodies concerned to promote the current climate initiatives, follow up on the implementation of their results, and launch ambitious new initiatives to complement and support government climate action,” Sisi stressed.

President Sisi announced that Egypt has joined the “Global Methane Pledge”, the first-ever Heads-of State global commitment to cut methane emissions at a level consistent with a 1.5 degrees Celsius, through which Egypt will enhance efforts to reduce methane emissions from the petroleum and natural gas sector, benefiting from the expertise and funding provided by the initiative and in cooperation with international partners in this sector.

“Our ability as an international community to move forward in a unified and coherent manner towards implementing our commitments under the Paris Agreement depends on the trust we can build,” Sisi said.

It is necessary for all parties from developing countries, particularly in Africa, to feel that their top priorities are taken into consideration and that they bear shared responsibilities commensurate with their capabilities with the appropriate support and funding available, he added.

COP 27’s success is closely related to the satisfaction of developing countries and the decisive steps taken by developed countries to fulfil their pledges to enhance all-out efforts to combat climate change, Sisi said.

“We have launched an Egyptian-US partnership with the aim of developing a new, effective and tangible initiative to back climate adaptation efforts in Africa during the Sharm El-Sheikh summit in November, he concluded.

Source: State Information Service Egypt