Egypt’s Minister of Transport Kamel el-Wazir launched on Thursday a Low Carbon Transport Initiative for sustainable urbanism.
The launching of the initiative came as part of the Solutions Day, held on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, currently in session in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
In statements, the minister said the initiative is meant to develop floating fair, healthy, clean and flexible transportation means on the international level, within the next 10 months.
The minister called on all COP27 participants, international organisations, as well as developed countries to adopt the initiative, recommending partners reach a consensus on a roadmap and experimental initiatives towards low-carbon transport by February, urging partners to convene every three months throughout the year for thorough scrutiny, ahead of presenting the initiative and bringing all results forward before the upcoming COP28 in the United Arab Emirates.
In the meantime, Wazir underscored the need for adopting an accelerating approach to devise new funding automation mechanism that would further help toward low-carbon transport.
He also highlighted the need to face up to all challenges besetting developing countries through proving needed finance, honing technical skills and technology transfer that would all contribute to realising sustainable development objectives.
1st ministerial meeting on urbanisation, climate change launched
The first ministerial meeting on urbanisation and climate change kicked off yesterday as part of COP27.
The meeting was attended by a number of ministers and senior officials participating in the climate gathering.
Minister of International Co-operation Rania el-Mashat said the ministerial meeting comes in response to the outcome of COP26, which highlights lacking speed in implementing pledges and commitments.
Mashat said “We are in dire need of accelerating fulfillment of goals and obligations reached so far and developing new partnerships.”
Efforts are now focused on reviewing loss and damage caused by climate change, she said, adding our main goal is adaptation and not mitigation.
Mashat underscored the necessity of making constructive partnerships involving institutions in the world community to attain goals.
The Egyptian government is forwarding a specific message that COP27 is a conference for implementation, according to her.
In turn, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‐Habitat) Maimunah Sharif said that climate change and other phenomena including Covid-19 and global capital crisis are all posing series pressures to cities and weak urban communities.
Small cities cannot handle climate challenges alone, she said, calling on all countries participating in COP27 to co-operate and take part in climate action.
In turn, South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda said the Egyptian state and the political leadership seek to achieve the highest and best success rates worldwide in a move meant to establish the new republic.
He pointed out the UN announced Saturday Sharm el-Sheikh as a hub for flexibility and resilience in facing disasters.
Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy Rob Jetten said green transition could be achieved inside cities, through adopting the best practices in heating houses.
He called on world governments to closely work together to attain climate neutrality, saying he is pleased to take part in the COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh city, which he described as a role model for cities that are climatically and environmentally neutral.
Jetten added the Dutch government co-operates with local administrations to bring about climate policies, calling for expanding the international network for climate neutrality and smart cities.
For his part, Bernhard Barth, a representative of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat), said the programme supported an initiative proposed by Egypt on accelerating local climate action to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Barth added the initiative aims to shift cities into more inclusive and healthy cities with resilient and sustainable urban systems.
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