CAIRO – Egyptian Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad had a meeting via video conference with OECD Acting Environment Director Alain de Serres to discuss mechanisms of boosting bilateral cooperation in the field of the Environmental Impact Assessment Review (EIA Review).
During the virtual meeting, the minister stressed the importance of environmental reviews in setting clear goals and helping to adjust the course when needed to achieve the best results.
She also reviewed some of the features of Egypt’s green transformation, starting with working to change the language of dialogue on the environment and climate in the last five years, to turn it from combating sources of pollution and reducing pollution rates, to work on creating links between the environment and the economy, in line with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives that led to a structural reform of the environment sector.
The minister further underlined efforts to involve the private sector in the environmental work as one of the mechanisms to build a supportive climate in the field of waste management.
She cited the issuance of the first Waste Management Law in Egypt, saying the law is based on the principle of the “circular economy,” which is a framework of three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems.
She also shed light on the launch of the National Climate Change Strategy 2050 (NCCS 2050), which is an integrated strategy that targets achieving sustainable economic development and decreasing harmful emissions, while adapting to climate change and assigning roles to institutions in charge of mitigation and adaptation.
At the end of the meeting, they agreed on continuing discussions on the best forms of cooperation, particularly in light of Egypt’s preoccupation in the coming period with hosting the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC, set for Sharm El Sheikh in November.
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