Climate Conference

The minister indicated that the next climate conference will be an implementation conference, concerned with the idea of ​​linking the three axes: "desertification, biodiversity and climate change."

The minister emphasized that the conference is an opportunity to raise these issues through the negotiation process, including the axes of adaptation, mitigation, financing, losses and damages, saying: "We realize that we have not yet reached the necessary funding of 100 billion dollars."

She added that the axis related to losses and damages is very important, especially the activation of the Santiago network, because just as the world suffers from economic crises in addition to an energy and food crisis during 2022, it is also suffering from environmental crises and disasters without distinguishing between developing and developed countries, such as forest fires in Europe and floods in many other places, noting that this is among the critical issues that will be raised in the negotiations and on the non-negotiating track as well, through the Egyptian presidency program on the site.

The Minister of Environment called on all Arab countries to participate in the global initiative put forward by the Egyptian presidency on how to adapt to the effects of climate changes in the agricultural sector and food systems, while trying to find solutions to these problems and work to solve them.

The minister also called on all Arab countries to participate in the Biodiversity Day, where the Egyptian presidency will launch the global initiative for nature-based solutions that addresses a set of goals that have been set with international organizations, which is storing nearly 100 million tons of carbon, protecting nearly Of the 150 million people from the bloody effects of climate change, and the preservation of 500 million hectares of natural systems.

The Minister congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for holding the Saudi Green Initiative Forum and the Middle East Green Initiative Summit under the patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and for hosting the "United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification" conference, as it is an opportunity to support the Arab presence at the global level and represent a unified voice to confront desertification problems, expressing support for the Kingdom in preparing for this file.

The First Edition of the Arab Environment Forum 2022 concluded with a set of important recommendations that help form a clear Arab position on all environmental issues:

1. The importance of linking the three axes (climate, desertification, and biodiversity).

2. The importance of shedding light on the issue of desertification, after listing a number of related problems that affect the Arab region, such as the encroachment of sand, the scarcity of crops, torrential rain and rain.

3. Proposing a set of solutions, such as creating lakes that contain torrential and rainwater, and preserving forests, which are a natural storehouse of greenhouse gases.

4. Call for the formation of a unified Arab position and work hand in hand to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s hosting in 2024 of the United Nations Convention on Desertification.

5. Agreeing on the importance of obtaining funding as well as a unified and expanded Arab participation in the upcoming COP27 Conference of Parties.