Egypt’s Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, has called for greater international support to help developing countries meet their climate goals, during her participation in the high-level “Mission 1.5 Roadmap” ministerial dialogue, held as part of the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial in Denmark from 7–8 May.
The event, attended by ministers and climate leaders from around the world, focused on leveraging Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as drivers of long-term development planning. Fouad highlighted the Mission 1.5 Roadmap as a collective initiative of the COP Presidencies Troika — comprising the United Arab Emirates (COP28), Azerbaijan (COP29), and Brazil (COP30) — aimed at preserving the 1.5°C global warming threshold and accelerating climate action this decade through a new round of enhanced NDCs.
Fouad stressed that the dialogue offered a platform to share experiences and lessons in developing and implementing ambitious NDCs, which she described as critical tools for integrating climate objectives with broader development goals. She emphasized the importance of scaling up international support and aligning NDCs with both the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Warning that many developing nations remain unable to meet their climate pledges due to limited financial and technical assistance, Fouad underscored that COP30 must build on the progress achieved at COP28 in Dubai and the upcoming COP29 in Baku. Key priorities, she said, include supporting energy transitions and expanding access to climate finance.
She called for the full activation of Article 4.7 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Article 4.5 of the Paris Agreement, which mandate developed nations to provide the necessary means of implementation for developing countries. The ongoing lack of adequate funding, she noted, remains a major barrier to ambitious climate action in the Global South.
Turning to Egypt’s national efforts, Fouad explained that the country has integrated its climate and development strategies through policy frameworks that align NDCs with Egypt’s Vision 2030. While these frameworks are tailored to Egypt’s specific socio-economic and environmental challenges, she stressed that their success depends heavily on international financial support.
She estimated Egypt requires approximately $196bn in conditional finance for mitigation and $50bn for adaptation. Without sufficient funding, she warned, the country’s ability to increase its climate ambition in the next round of NDCs will be significantly constrained.
Fouad also noted that Egypt is preparing its second-generation NDCs, with a focus on three key sectors responsible for roughly half of national emissions. She cited notable progress in policy reforms aimed at achieving 2030 mitigation targets, and said Egypt plans to introduce a sub-target for clean energy — including nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, and low-carbon hydrogen production.
On adaptation, Fouad outlined current NDC goals focused on water and irrigation management, crop resilience, and coastal protection. She said Egypt is now working to expand these targets to address biodiversity, which faces increasing risks from climate change.
