By Manal Abdel Fattah
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi returned to Egypt after participating in the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
In his speech at the Summit of the Heads of State and Government, President El-Sisi said that Egypt, drawing upon its chairmanship of last year’s conference in Sharm El-Sheikh and the direct impact of climate change it endures, acknowledges the pressing need to work toward enhancing collective and urgent action to address the challenge of climate change.
He added that this shall take place in a manner that bolsters our ability to ensure sustainable development, that aligns harmoniously with the environment, safeguards Planet Earth for future generations and addresses the devastating climate impacts and disasters that current generations are experiencing, which surpass the capacity of nations, particularly developing countries, to manage and curb their impact on the diverse development domains.
“We were keen, in Sharm El-Sheikh, on launching several courses of action that would contribute to achieving our aspirations in this regard. Those included primarily the establishment of the “Loss and Damage Fund”, which aimed to provide financial assistance to nations most vulnerable and impacted by the effects of climate change; the “Just Transition Action Plan”; and the “Emissions Reduction Action Plan”. We have also paved the way for achieving the “Global Goal on Adaptation to Climate Change,” he added.