Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry — who will chair the COP27 next month in Sharm El-Sheikh — warned that rich countries will lose the trust of the developing world if they fail to fulfill their pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide climate finance for them.
In an interview with British newspaper The Guardian, Shoukry expressed hope that developed countries will bring plans to reduce emissions to the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) that are in line with the 1.5° Celsius target or developed policies to achieve these goals.
He added that reaching an agreement will be more difficult than any other recent climate talks due to the “turbulent” global economy and “difficult geopolitical tensions” fueled by the war in Ukraine.
He also noted that the energy crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian War has led to a rise in gas prices, which has prompted some countries — including the UK, the US, and EU member states — to increase fossil fuel production.
The minister then warned against resorting to more dependence on fossil fuels, which puts everyone at risk and discourages developing countries from switching to cleaner fuels.
Furthermore, he said that Egypt offered to mediate in discussions between the US and China — the world’s largest emitters — expressing hope that this mediation will see a response in Sharm El-Sheikh.
