Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told African leaders on Tuesday that the climate control recommendations reached during the 2015 Paris Climate Conference should not hinder development plans on the African continent, assuring of Egypt's full commitment to international efforts and agreements to combat climate change. El-Sisi made the comments during his speech at the meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), which was held on the sidelines of the 28th African General Assembly in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The president spoke of the significance of the meeting, as it comes in the framework of the agreements reached during the Paris and Marrakech conventions on climate change to hold the average global temperature at 2°C.
However, El-Sisi stressed that this should not overwhelm the budgets of African nations, which are lacking in financing and technology.
"The African continent is the lowest contributor to climate change in the world, though it is the most affected by its negative impacts," the Egyptian president said in his speech. The African leader pointed to the importance of the two initiatives proposed at the Paris conference to help the African continent face the consequences of climate change. The initiatives comprise expanding the use of renewable energy and finding ways to help Africa adapt to climate change. El-Sisi also reiterated Egypt's support for the African Climate and Africa Adaptation Initiatives.
The Egyptian president said that the efforts to counter the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly important and significant globally, highlighting Egypt's role in hosting meetings of African climate change comittees in recent years.
He also affirmed Egypt's commitment to support development on the African continent.
El-Sisi expressed appreciation for the cooperation of African nations with Egypt during its chairmanship of the CAHOSCC, stressing the country's readiness to continue cooperation within the African framework to face climate change.
El-Sis said at the end of his speech that he is handing over chairmanship of the committee to Gabon's president Ali Bongo.
