The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said that Egypt was keen on joining the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI) since it was launched in 2019.
In his word at the Heads of State Summit for the launch of the EMME-CCI on Tuesday, President Sisi stressed the importance of the initiative in coordinating policies to face climate change among the initiative’s members in a way that contributes to promoting joint climate action and mitigating the climate change impacts in “our regional environment”.
“Our region is one of the most affected regions by the repercussions of climate change and its devastating effects at all levels,” President Sisi made it clear.
These repercussions have become crystal clear during the past few years that witnessed extreme weather events in the region, including wildfires, flash floods and torrential rains that caused huge human and material losses, Sisi added.
In his speech, President Sisi welcomed Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and other leaders participating in this important summit that is held in partnership between Egypt and Cyprus.
President Sisi expressed his appreciation of the Cypriot President’s keenness on achieving tangible results during “Climate Implementation Summit” that could lead to the implementation of climate pledges.
He stressed that Voluntary Initiatives (VIs), which aimed at mobilizing efforts to confront climate change, have become one of the most important mechanisms for global climate action.
Sisi also underlined the importance of non-governmental parties’ contribution to the implementation of these initiatives.
VIs promise to be valuable elements in the portfolio of instruments to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to achieve the Kyoto targets and beyond.
The Climate Pledge is a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040—10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement, whose goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
