Egypt-first to have new climate targets ahead of UN summit

Egypt decides to establish a new national target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions within weeks, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who will be COP27 president, said on Friday. The country is planning to take the lead on global climate negotiations as host of the UN summit in November.

Last year, at the COP26 U.N., countries agreed summit in Glasgow to reconsider and reinforce their 2030 climate targets in time for the COP27 meeting to be held in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

“But so far no country has offered a heightened target since Glasgow, “David Waskow, a director of the non-profit World Resources Institute, said.

Shoukry encouraged all countries to offer their new targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), calling for stronger action to stop climate change.

“Egypt will be declaring its revised NDCs, hopefully within a matter of weeks. I hope others will pay attention to what we will demonstrate in terms of ambition and commitment when our revised NDCs are issued ” the Egyptian minister added.

“Egypt has lagged other countries in submitting climate targets. Egypt submitted its most recent NDC in 2017. But depending on what the new target provides, it could still be helpful in driving others to act.” Waskow said.

“It is helpful for Egypt to get the ball rolling. We hope, set an important marker for what countries do need to do,” Waskow added.

Shoukry held talks with Great Britain’s Alok Sharma, president of COP26, at the conclusion of two days of meetings among ministers from more than 40 countries, launched to progress toward meeting climate commitments.

“last year’s Glasgow climate deal was a fragile win. Countries must now follow through on their commitments for there to be any hope of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the threshold beyond which climate change will become significantly worse.” Sharma said.