Egyptian Minister of Environment, Khaled Fahmy, talked about Egypt’s renewable energy on behalf of the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El Sisi, at the COP22 Climate Summit.

Fahmy affirmed Egypt’s commitment to push forward the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) , stating that the north African country has already drafted its national development strategy for 2030, reported ESI Africa Journal.

Fahmy highlighted the importance of technology transfer and capacity building from developed countries to developing ones. He further emphasised the importance of allocating adequate funding targeted upwards to $100b annually for climate issues.

On the sidelines of the summit, Fahmy launched the African Forum for Environment Partnership to participate in organizing environment activities across the continent and share expertise with African leaders. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the AREI would have a considerable impact on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on the continent. It will however, require huge funding in order to be activated.

In mid October, the Egyptian Prime Minister, Sherif Ismail, signed off on the country’s 2035 Sustainable Energy Strategy during a meeting with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Energy. The strategy covered three segments, which included the restructuring of the gas sector, the promotion of energy efficiency, and combating global warming by lessening greenhouse gas emissions.