Climate+
“COP27 will be the COP for Action!" Says COP's Envoy Dr. Yasmin Fouad
Egypt's Minister of Environment and COP27 Ministerial Coordinator and Envoy Shares Her Vision of COP 27: Focus on Adaptation
Aug 06, 2022 / 3 Min
Dr. Yasmine Fouad was appointed Minister of Environment of Egypt in June 2018. Photo: COP27 official website.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt's Minister of Environment and COP27 Ministerial Coordinator and Envoy, welcomed COP27 participants on the official conference website.
In her welcoming note Dr. Fouad shared her vision on the actions needed in face of “the most challenging crisis of our century”. She said we will have to change our behavior, the way we do business, adopt new behaviors in our daily lives and adapt the way we think and the way we make decisions. “Humanity must adopt agility, innovative thinking, inclusivity and impactful actions.”
She noted that Egypt has been leading Africa in the combat against climate change since the Paris Agreement, two examples are the African Renewable Energy Initiative and the African Adaptation Initiative.
Dr. Fouad pointed out that COP27 intends to keep the 1.5 degrees goal alive and at the same time dedicate special efforts to bringing adaptation to the spotlight:
“COP27 will be the COP for Action! Nevertheless, a COP for implementation needs to devise solutions that are doable. No action can be achieved without the necessary enabling tools, namely: finance and science. Bringing state representatives, civil society, youth, women, vulnerable groups and the private sector together in the magical city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022, is the best catalyst to produce real, applicable and feasible outcomes.”
Dr. Fouad holds MSc in Environmental Science and PhD in Political Science - Euro Mediterranean Studies. She has more than 20 years’ experience in Environment and International cooperation, working in Government, UN organizations, NGOs and Universities.
As Minister of Environment, she leads a transformational change in environment sector in Egypt by creating more business oriented enabling environment, through 1) leading the processes of developing the Waste Management Law (202/2020), 2) leading the development and implementation of National Solid Waste Strategy; 3)developing waste to energy as new economic instrument; 4) participating in progressing the first governmental green bonds in Egypt and Middle East; 5) co-leading mainstreaming environmental sustainability aspects into national investment plans, as well as 6) improving Greater Cairo air quality and supporting construction of waste management infrastructure.
Source: Ministry of Environment.