Egypt has underscored the importance of the Developing Eight (D-8) ministerial platform as a key mechanism for advancing coordinated climate action among developing economies, calling for a unified position ahead of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31).
Speaking on behalf of Egypt at the D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad said the grouping, which represents more than 1.28 billion people, serves not only as a forum for addressing shared challenges but also as a vehicle for translating international climate commitments into national and local policies and programmes.
The meeting was held as part of the preparatory events for COP31, which Türkiye is scheduled to host in Antalya this November. It aimed to strengthen the collective participation of developing economies in global climate negotiations and establish a structured climate coordination mechanism within the D-8.
Awad expressed Egypt’s appreciation to Türkiye for its hospitality and its efforts to prepare for hosting COP31, stressing that the current phase of international climate action should focus on the balanced implementation of existing commitments rather than negotiating new ones.
She said such an approach is essential to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement while safeguarding the development priorities of developing countries. She also noted that nations contributing the least to climate change continue to bear the heaviest burden of its consequences, a reality faced daily by vulnerable communities across the developing world.
The minister stressed that adaptation must remain the foremost priority for developing countries and should be driven by national plans supported by adequate financing that reaches the local level.
On climate finance, the minister pointed to the adaptation finance gap, which the latest United Nations assessments estimate will exceed $310 billion annually by 2035. Awad called on D-8 member states to defend this position collectively during the COP31 negotiations.
Awad called for the Istanbul Declaration to serve as a roadmap for joint action and a practical platform for strengthening partnerships, developing projects and mobilising climate finance. She said the declaration should help transform the priorities of D-8 member states into tangible outcomes at COP31 and beyond.
Egypt, she added, stands ready to work closely with all member states to ensure the group arrives in Antalya as an active partner in shaping global climate solutions rather than merely receiving them, and as a driving force for fair, practical and implementable outcomes.
The Developing Eight Organisation for Economic Cooperation (D-8) is a leading platform for emerging economies across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its members are Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Türkiye. Collectively, they include some of the world’s fastest-industrialising economies, many of which are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
