Latest news with #UNBiodiversityConference
Egypt Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Sharm El Sheikh designated as Egypt's first green city by ICLEI
Sharm El Sheikh has officially become Egypt's first city to be recognized as a 'Green City' by the global Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) network. This significant achievement was announced by Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, alongside South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Gimar Deeb. The designation marks the culmination of Sharm El Sheikh's extensive journey towards environmental sustainability, which gained momentum after Egypt hosted the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2018 and was solidified by the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in 2022. Guided by presidential directives, approximately 39 projects transformed the city into a comprehensive green model. Key initiatives contributing to this status include substantial investments (LE800 million) in renewable energy (51 megawatts, solar installations across hotels and remote areas), the establishment of 145 km of cycling paths and sustainable transport, and robust solid waste management systems that engage the local community, including converting used cooking oil into biodiesel. The city also focuses on water desalination in Nabq Protectorate and biodiversity preservation, including coral reef monitoring. Though Sharm El Sheikh is the inaugural Egyptian city to join the ICLEI, El-Kharga City's prior designation as a green city by the Arab League highlights Egypt's expansive dedication to sustainable development. Governor Fouda emphasized that COP27 was a critical turning point, solidifying Sharm El Sheikh's identity as a green tourism destination. The 'Green Sharm' project specifically targets energy, waste, transport, water, and biodiversity, including a ban on single-use plastics in 50 hotels by 2025/2026. This comprehensive strategy, supported by over $19.7 million in funding, aims to make Sharm El Sheikh a global model for sustainable tourism, promoting a healthy environment, a promising economy, and a responsible community. The Green Sharm Project Manager and the UNDP representative both lauded Sharm El Sheikh's inclusion, emphasizing it as a clear demonstration of Egypt's dedication to green transformation and its positive impact on the city's tourism appeal in addition to its role as a global symbol post-COP27.
Egypt Today
16-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egypt, Canada strengthen environmental cooperation with focus on green transition and climate action
File- Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad - press photo CAIRO – 16 May 2025: Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad held a meeting with Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Louis Dumas and his accompanying delegation to discuss ongoing and future cooperation on environmental issues at both national and multilateral levels. The meeting was attended by Ambassador Raouf Saad, Advisor to the Minister on Multilateral Agreements, and Soha Taher, Head of the Central Administration for International Cooperation and Climate Change. Fouad praised the long-standing and distinguished environmental partnership between Egypt and Canada, highlighting Canada's early support in building Egypt's environmental capabilities, particularly in data management through the development of an environmental information system, which played a crucial role in understanding and addressing complex environmental challenges. The discussions covered collaborative efforts at the multilateral level, particularly during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) held in Canada, where both countries worked together to establish a global biodiversity framework. The two sides praised the joint cooperation during the COP27 Climate Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh and COP28 in Dubai, where Egypt and Canada jointly led consultations on climate finance, resulting in an agreement to scale up climate funding. The minister presented Egypt's vision for green transformation, which centers on raising ambition, encouraging green investment, and engaging the private sector. She emphasized Egypt's aspiration to become a regional hub for green hydrogen and renewable energy, leveraging its significant natural capital and reaffirmed the state's commitment to inclusive green transition, supported by the government, civil society, and local communities alike. She also referenced presidential directives issued since 2018 to ensure active youth and women participation in environmental efforts, beyond mere awareness. Notable examples include small-scale waste management projects and the conservation of natural reserves, she said. The 'Eco Egypt' campaign was cited as a successful initiative promoting eco-tourism through youth and entrepreneur engagement. The minister elaborated on Egypt's policy approach to tackling plastic pollution, a pressing global and national challenge. She mentioned the Cabinet's approval of extended producer responsibility regulations for plastic bags under the Waste Management Law, alongside changes in production standards and the introduction of alternatives. A public awareness campaign on reducing single-use plastics is being prepared, in line with World Environment Day's theme of reducing plastic pollution, she said. The role of education in addressing environmental challenges was also a key topic. Fouad stressed the importance of integrating global environmental issues such as biodiversity and climate change into the national education system. Egypt has already incorporated these topics into school curricula and welcomed Canadian interest in developing technical education that includes environmental and sustainability components, she said. The Canadian ambassador commended the historical depth of Egyptian-Canadian relations and expressed Canada's intention to support Egypt's green transition. He highlighted areas of potential cooperation, including technical education aligned with environmental sustainability, smart agriculture, and research partnerships aimed at addressing environmental priorities.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Invite-Only Meeting Revives Hope For a Global Plastic Treaty
(Bloomberg) -- More than a dozen countries took part in informal talks aimed at unblocking negotiations to stem a global wave of plastic pollution, which scientists warn could have major public health consequences if left unchecked. Despite Cost-Cutting Moves, Trump Plans to Remake DC in His Style Amtrak CEO Departs Amid Threats of a Transit Funding Pullback New York Subway Ditches MetroCard After 32 Years for Tap-And-Go NYC Plans for Flood Protection Without Federal Funds The Scary Thing About the Wildfire That Was Stopped Nations and blocs that joined the meeting convened by Norway in Oslo on Monday and Tuesday included China, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Japan and the European Union. India, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were invited but did not attend. A new round of formal United Nations-backed negotiations for a global plastic treaty will be held in Geneva in August. Previous attempts in South Korea last year were obstructed by a small group of oil producers, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, who objected to limits on production and consumption. Success in delivering a pact may hinge on a small group of countries — including India, South Africa, Brazil and particularly China, which has a large petrochemical sector but is increasingly concerned about plastic's health impacts. 'What we are working now is to find that landing zone and the compromise that can bring an agreement' at the Geneva talks, Norwegian Climate Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen said in an interview. 'A lot of countries now really want to step up and demonstrate that the multilateral system is actually working.' The process of finding global consensus on solutions to climate and environmental challenges has faced scrutiny after a series of disappointing outcomes at UN-brokered summits, and failures last year to strike agreements to halt plastic pollution, protect biodiversity and end desertification. Yet a deal reached at the UN Biodiversity Conference last month in Rome, where more than 140 countries agreed to raise hundreds of billions of dollars a year to halt nature loss, is injecting new hope for a plastics pact. Norway was following some of the same strategies diplomats used to seal the Rome agreement by initiating informal talks ahead of scheduled negotiations, Eriksen said. A global plastic treaty would seek to curb how much of the material contaminates the world's soil and waterways. Plastic waste is not biodegradable, breaking down instead into microplastics which can then enter the food stream. Recent research has shown the material is toxic as it accumulates in human bodies. Plastic production is forecast to jump about 60% to 736 million tons a year by 2040, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (Updates with new comment from fourth paragraph) Tesla's Gamble on MAGA Customers Won't Work How TD Became America's Most Convenient Bank for Money Launderers The Real Reason Trump Is Pushing 'Buy American' A New 'China Shock' Is Destroying Jobs Around the World The Future of Higher Ed Is in Austin ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Trade Arabia
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Trade Arabia
UN conference pact mobilises $200bn boost for nature
Governments on Friday reached agreement on a strategy to raise an additional $200 billion each year to better protect the world's flora and fauna by 2030. Delegates met in Rome for the resumption of the UN Biodiversity Conference to hammer out an agreement at COP16.2 after attempts to reach a deal on financing at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, fell short last November. It is hoped that the hard-won decisions made by parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity will shore up biodiversity and fragile ecosystems which are bearing the brunt of increased conflict, deforestation, mining, toxic waste dumping and other environmental impacts worldwide. 'We very much welcome this announcement,' the UN Secretary-General's Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday. 'We need to mobilise at least $200 billion dollars a year by 2030 to close the global biodiversity finance gap.' 'These days of work in Rome have demonstrated the commitment of the parties to advance the implementation of the [Kunming-Montreal] Global Biodiversity Framework,' said COP16 president Susana Muhamad, referring to the landmark 2022 agreement and underscoring 'the collective effort to reach consensus of key issues that were left pending in Cali'. The Global Biodiversity Framework aims to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, who suffer disproportionately from biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. The global framework also contains concrete measures to halt and reverse nature loss, including protection measures covering 30% of the planet and 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems by 2030, she stated. Currently only 17% of land and around eight per cent of marine areas are protected.
