Egypt’s Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad held a virtual meeting with Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the French Minister for Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and Risk Prevention, to discuss Egypt’s participation in the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference, scheduled to take place in Nice, France on June 9-13, and to explore opportunities for enhanced bilateral cooperation on combating plastic pollution, particularly in the Mediterranean region.
Fouad conveyed the Egyptian government’s appreciation for France’s leadership in prioritizing ocean conservation and biodiversity within the multilateral environmental agenda. She underscored the need to align discussions on the blue economy, marine biodiversity, protected areas, and the global plastics treaty into a cohesive and action-oriented framework during the conference.
She highlighted Egypt’s strong interest in the conference, particularly as the country prepares to host the Barcelona Convention at the end of the year. Egypt aims to spotlight critical themes such as “Blue Economy and Mediterranean Sustainability”, leveraging the platform to foster regional and international collaboration, according to her.
Minister Fouad reiterated Egypt’s support for a fair, balanced and transparent global agreement to address plastic pollution, one that reflects common but differentiated responsibilities and considers the unique challenges faced by developing nations.
She emphasized the necessity for robust financial mechanisms and access to technology to enable countries to meet ambitious environmental targets.
She noted that Egypt has taken concrete steps on the national level, including a recent cabinet decision to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and to introduce fees on single-use plastic bags. Additionally, Egypt has enforced a comprehensive waste management law since 2020, which adopts the principles of a circular economy.
Further initiatives include expanding plastic recycling efforts, eliminating unnecessary plastic consumption, and empowering local communities through projects like the Nile Cleanup Initiative. This program involves fishermen and women in collecting plastic waste from the Nile River, recycling it into useful products, and creating green jobs that support community development and women’s economic empowerment.
Fouad also called for a thorough assessment of the socioeconomic impacts of transitioning away from plastic, emphasizing the need for affordable technologies and strong legal frameworks to guide sustainable change.
For her part, the French minister welcomed Egypt’s active participation in the upcoming conference and praised its leadership in promoting sustainability. She stressed the urgency of advancing solutions to plastic pollution through the adoption of alternative materials, enhanced recycling infrastructure, and a shift toward durable, multi-use plastics. These measures, she said, are essential to preserving marine ecosystems and biodiversity, and to ensuring a healthy and resilient ocean future.
