SHARM EL SHEIKH – UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt and UN Special Envoy on Financing 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda Mahmoud Mohieldin said there is no contradiction between emissions reduction measures and adapting to climate change ones, stressing the necessity of financing mitigation and adaptation measures equally.
His remarks came during his participation in Breakthrough Agenda session in COP27, with the participation of El Sayed El Quseir, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Laila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Morocco (virtually), Stephen Gelbolt, Canada Environment and Climate Change Secretary, Nigel Topping, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP26, beside a number of environment and climate change ministers, businessmen, representatives of private sector and companies worldwide.
Mohieldin praised Glasgow Breakthrough Agenda, while noting that it should be addressed in a holistic framework that balance between mitigation and adaptation measures, referring in this context to the launching of Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda that aim to improve the resilience of 4 billions by 2030 through projects in the fields of food and agriculture, water and nature, coasts and oceans, human settlements, and infrastructures.
“Africa provides promising initiatives and alliances regarding both mitigation and adaptation, but they all require suitable finance.” Mohieldin said, pointing to the African Alliance of Green Hydrogen that launched by 6 countries including Egypt, and the national platform of Nexus of Water, Food and Energy (NWFE) launched by Egypt government which witnesses collaboration between public sector, private sector, international organizations and development partners.
He added that implementing climate action in Africa requires just and sufficient finance, along with sharing knowledge and technology, explaining that African contribution to global carbon emissions does not exceed 3% while the continent is the most harmed by climate change.
Regarding to energy sector, Mohieldin said that despite the fact that 80% of investing in the sector last year went to renewables (366$ billions), they only contribute to the whole energy production by only 4%, saying that the energy sector transition requires 10 times the 100$ billions pledged by Copenhagen conference to finance climate action in the developing countries, which have not been fulfilled by the developed countries until the moment.
“The real breakthrough in climate action tracks will only be achieved through the actual implementation, and this requires fair and sufficient finance, scientific solutions, and the change of social behavior.” Mohieldin concluded.
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