Egypt remains committed to multilateral environmental cooperation and national efforts to protect natural resources, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad said, highlighting the country's upcoming hosting of COP24 of the Barcelona Convention. Her remarks came during her address at the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025. Fouad outlined national initiatives, including the construction of over 70 km of nature-based solutions in five coastal governorates, rehabilitation of northern lakes to support local communities, and greening projects in major ports such as Damietta, Port Said and the Suez Canal. She stressed the interconnected nature of global environmental challenges in 2025, pointing to rising sea levels as a climate change impact, coral bleaching as a sign of biodiversity loss, and increasing migration driven by extreme weather and job displacement. Plastic pollution, particularly in marine environments, remains a major concern. Fouad revealed that Egypt's cabinet approved a new regulation in early 2025 introducing extended producer responsibility for single-use plastic bags. The measure, set to be implemented in the coming days, supports Egypt's role in ongoing negotiations for a global plastics treaty (INC5.2). She also highlighted Egypt's efforts to sign a marine biodiversity agreement, integrate biodiversity targets into its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP30, and designate the Red Sea coast and its coral reefs as a protected area—raising Egypt's protected land area from 15 per cent to 22 per cent. A national blue economy strategy is also being finalised with full social inclusion by November. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
