‘Countries’ right to development is non-negotiable’

Egypt’s Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad took part on Monday in a round table discussion themed ‘Paths towards 2030, to achieve comprehensive transformation.”

The roundtable was held as part of the consultations on the preliminary part of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28), in UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, seeking to identify major steps in implementing the Paris Agreement, via concluding evaluation of the Global Climate Action.

The chief aim is to secure COP 28 outcomes that could set the tone for climate action across all pillars of the Paris Agreement, offering a comprehensive response through policies and efforts aligned with science and justice considerations, according to a ministry press release in Cairo.

Addressing the roundtable, Minister Fouad stressed the need for joint action to raise ambitions at the forthcoming COP28, which aims to come out with balanced and ambitious results in areas of mitigation, adaptation, financing, losses and damages, in a way likely to help realize the major goal of maintaining 1.5 degrees of global warming.

Minister Fouad also highlighted the need for the developing countries to have access to the necessary means of implementation, mainly financing, taking into account the fair and equal distribution of goals, which must be specific and clear. This must consider the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

In the meantime, Minister Fouad pointed out that the concept of equality must imply fair participation in carbon emissions as well as equal rights of countries in development. In this way, the historical responsibility of developed countries in carbon emissions will not be overlooked, neither will that of developing ones.

According to Minister Fouad the global climate assessment offers a good opportunity to evaluate efforts already exerted, and determining the needs to be fulfilled in the future, pertaining to mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation.

More importantly, Fouad underlined the need for climate action to take into account respect for the sovereignty of each party and the principles of the Paris Agreement, so every country will have the right to choose a just transition path that goes in line with its national conditions and capabilities, and social and economic needs.