Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, held a meeting with UK Ambassador to Cairo Gareth Bayley to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation on the green transition, with a focus on sustainable tourism, environmental investment, and clean energy initiatives, according to an official statement released Tuesday. The meeting follows Minister Fouad's recent appointment as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). She emphasised Egypt's ongoing efforts to integrate the objectives of the three Rio Conventions—on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification—and reiterated the country's commitment to advancing a just and inclusive green transition. This includes implementing the post-2030 global framework on desertification and the Global Biodiversity Framework 2030. Ambassador Bayley extended an invitation for Egypt to join the UK's Green Energy Alliance under the broader Green Growth campaign, aimed at accelerating clean energy transitions and boosting green investment in emerging markets. He praised Egypt's environmental leadership and reaffirmed the UK's support for Egypt's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Fouad stressed the vital role of the private sector in enabling the green transition, highlighting eco-tourism as a priority area. "Tourism is a core contributor to Egypt's national income and closely tied to our natural resources. We've developed clear guidelines and financial incentives for eco-tourism under Egypt's investment law," she noted. She added that the Ministry has forged strong partnerships with private tourism operators, who constitute 98% of the sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry supported divers and fishers with alternative livelihoods—many of whom have since become active in marine conservation. Egypt is currently advancing efforts to declare the entire Red Sea coastline a protected area, which would raise the proportion of protected land nationwide to 22%. The discussion also covered Egypt's progress in waste management and circular economy initiatives. Fouad cited the growing use of alternative fuel from waste in the cement industry, with some companies now sourcing over 30% of their energy from green fuels. This shift has been driven by new regulations that restrict coal licensing unless companies commit to using cleaner fuel alternatives. The two sides agreed to explore deeper UK-Egypt collaboration on updating Egypt's NDCs, building institutional capacity, enhancing monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, and raising public awareness on climate change and sustainable investment. Minister Fouad reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to multilateral environmental governance, noting its active participation in upcoming negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty. She also highlighted the country's newly adopted policy requiring extended producer responsibility for single-use plastic bags. Ambassador Bayley welcomed Egypt's potential involvement in the UK-led Green Growth campaign and confirmed continued support through the £500m Blue Planet Fund. The fund will provide grants for marine conservation and community-based environmental projects in the Red Sea, which he described as a "global ecological treasure" rich in coral reefs and marine biodiversity.
