President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with Patricia Espinosa — the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — on Saturday in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad. Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said that the president confirmed Egypt's appreciation of the fruitful and growing cooperation with the UN on the issue of climate change and its effects on the world. Al-Sisi also expressed Egypt's aspiration to focus this cooperation and coordination in preparation for the upcoming Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP 27) in Sharm El-Sheikh to build on the results of the COP 26 that was held in Glasgow. This aims to achieve practical and internationally applicable solutions and commitments to address climate challenges and mobilise the necessary international funding. On her part, Espinosa expressed her hopes that the upcoming summit will be a milestone in the issue of climate change. In this context, Espinosa commended the relevant historical positions of Egypt, especially as it was one of the first developing countries to adopt decisive policies on the issue of climate change. Furthermore, she praised the national efforts currently being made to deal with the environment, support the green transition, and confront the phenomenon of climate change, including building green cities, switching to clean means of transportation, the issuance of green bonds, as well as the adoption of the 2050 National Climate Change Strategy. Earlier on Saturday, Shoukry — the President-designate of the COP 27 — and Fouad — the Ministerial Coordinator and Envoy of the Conference — met with Espinosa. During the meeting, the importance of Shoukry's recent visit to the headquarters of the Executive Secretariat of the Convention in Bonn, Germany, last February was emphasised in the framework of the ongoing preparations for Egypt's hosting of the COP 27 in November, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Hafez. The meeting discussed a number of priority issues in the international climate framework, especially with regard to adaptation to climate change, mitigation of its negative effects, and provision of climate finance. They also discussed the continuation of efforts to strengthen various countries' specific contributions to reducing their greenhouse emissions, and the need to encourage various parties, especially civil society organisations in developing and developed countries alike, to actively engage in adaptation.
