Mohieldin: Holistic Approach of Sustainable Development Key to Overcome Climate Action Obstacles

Mohieldin stressed to the students the importance of embedding technology and scientific solutions in their future discussions on climate change 

Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt and UN Special Envoy on Financing 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, said that the holistic approach that put all aspects of climate action in context of sustainable development is the key to overcome the challenges of implementing climate and development action.

This came during his participation in COP28 Simulation Model organized by BUE in collaboration with UNDP and Zayed University, with the participation of Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Alessandro Fracassetti, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, Ambassador Amr Mousa, Formal AL General Secretary and Member of Board of Trustees of BUE, and Dr. Mohamed Lotfy, BUE Chairman.

Mohieldin participated in a simulation session in which the students discussed carbon markets, its importance to developing countries, its implementing and governance, climate justice among high and low contributors to carbon emissions, adaptation strategies, debt and climate finance, and Loss and Damage Fund.

He praised the discussion conducted by the students that included some critical and important climate action topics, asking the students to embed technology and scientific solutions in their future discussions as they are essential for implementing climate action.

Mohieldin stated that Paris Agreement and Marrakech Partnership set clear frameworks for climate action and the role of NSAs in this regard, stressing the importance of the holistic approach called for by COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, which places climate action as an integral part of development action.

Mohieldin explained that COP26 in Glasgow succeeded in launching the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), while COP27 launched Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA), whose main areas of action contribute to achieving a number of SDGs, including the goal of addressing climate change. The conference also launched the Loss and Damage Fund, which is currently under way to develop its framework in order to get activated during the coming period.

He stressed that bridging climate finance gap should not exacerbate the debt crisis in developing countries and emerging economies, pointing to the importance of mobilizing financing from public, private, domestic and external sources, and the participation of all parties in financing and implementing climate action, including public and private sectors, civil society, universities, research centers, IFIs and MDBs.

The climate champion noted the need to intensify action to achieve the agreed emission reduction goals, and the most emission contributors to assume their responsibilities in this regard. He also stressed the importance of fair and adequate funding for adaptation activities and enhancing the resilience of communities in the face of climate change, which so far does not receive more than 15% to 20% of climate finance as a whole.

Mohieldin said that some protective industrial and trade policies imposed by developed countries negatively affect developing countries and their manufacturing sectors and the competitiveness of their products, as well as their negative impact on the global trade and their incompatibility with the rules of WTO, explaining that the decarbonization of industrial sectors in developing countries requires cooperation and support from developed countries and international organizations with regard to providing finance and technology.

He stressed that the implementation of climate action requires mobilizing fair, adequate and efficient finance, the operationalization of technological solutions to address the climate crisis, the change of ideas and practices at the level of all actors, and the development of policies and regulatory frameworks that stimulate climate action.

The BUE COP28 Simulation Model held under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Egyptian Presidency of COP27, the United Nations HLCs and the British Embassy in Cairo.

In his speech at the closing session of the simulation model, Mohieldin confirmed that simulation models enhance the ability of youth to deal with problems on the ground and provide decision makers with ideas, explaining that evidence, numbers and results of scientific research are the means to deal with crises on the ground, and find practical and applicable solutions.

Mohieldin said that COP27 strongly expressed developing countries, stressing that developing countries must work hard to become part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution through investment in people, science and environmentally friendly development.

He explained that COP28 in Dubai will focus on accelerating mitigation and Just Energy Transition, activating the Loss and Damage Fund launched at COP27, and investing in nature and people, while continuing the effort to mobilize adequate, fair and efficient finance for climate action.