Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt and UN Special Envoy on Financing 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda said lack of awareness of climate change could hinder the actual implementation of climate action.
Mohieldin’s comment came during the opening session to Solutions Day at COP27 on Thursday.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukri, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala el-Saeed, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action Selwin Hart attended the session.
“Changing thinking and behaviour, from decision-makers to the ordinary citizen, will be achieved only by raising climate awareness”, he said.
“It is important that climate action be implemented according to specific criteria and clear commitment mechanisms, in a way that helps face the green washing phenomenon,” Mohieldin said, stressing the importance of co-operation and commitment of all actors and parties to climate action.
Regarding scientific solutions, Mohieldin said that universities and research centres support the implementation of climate action with evidence and solutions based on scientific research, and that solar and wind power plants in Egypt are scientific solutions.
Concerning financing climate action, Mohieldin said: “Many developed countries failed to fulfill the annual $100-billion pledge of Copenhagen Conference to finance climate action in developing countries, which weakens confidence in their commitment to the trillions of dollars that are required for climate action over the next period.”
Lack of commitment to providing sufficient, fair and efficient finance for climate action will end up with sacrificing many climate goals, the champion said, pointing to the importance of international financing parties to adopt soft grants and loans criteria that allow long-term repayment periods at low interest, and middle-income countries benefit from these grants as well as low-income countries.
“Those who say no climate projects are reliable or bankable in developing countries and emerging markets should review the results of the initiatives of the five regional roundtable that include promising projects covering all aspects of climate action.
In this regard, he referred to the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects, in which all parties and local actors in all Egyptian governorates participated to localise development and climate action and drawing an investment map for the entire country.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that her country listens to developing countries, understands their suffering and seeks to cooperate with them to find and implement solutions.
The developed countries must deal seriously with the file of losses and damages caused by climate change in developing countries in the context of climate justice, Baebock said.
Berlin will allocate €60 million annually to finance climate change adaptation measures in developing countries, she added.
During a session ‘Friends of Greening National Investment Plans in Africa and Developing Countries’ initiative, Mohieldin stressed the importance of linking this initiative to the public budgets and encouraging national development banks and the private sector to participate.
He highlighted the importance of identifying gaps to shape the required contribution from public, private sectors and various financing entities.
“The investment map in Egypt that resulted from national initiative for smart green projects will help implement this initiative,” Mohieldin said. “The Sharm el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda is also a good opportunity to implement the initiative in agriculture, food, water, nature, coasts, oceans, human settlements and infrastructure sectors,” he said.
