Country platforms ‘practical way’ to push forward climate action, Egyptian minister says

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Country platforms offer a “very practical way” to push forward climate action at a national level, with Egypt’s NWFE (nexus of water, food and energy) programme an example of how the country is achieving its priority development and climate objectives, a senior official has said.

“I think today, there’s more realisation that climate and development come hand in hand. So when we are thinking about a renewable energy project, or if we’re thinking about a project that addresses food security or water security, such projects are able to achieve both goals,” Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of International Co-operation, told media on the sidelines of the Cop28 summit in Dubai.

“They are developmental in nature because there are several SDGs [sustainable development goals] that might be met, but also, they contribute to the countries fulfilling their different nationally determined contributions, their NDCs.”

Egypt announced the launch of NWFE, which means fulfilling pledges in Arabic, in July last year, before hosting Cop27 in Sharm El Sheikh in November 2022.

The platform has “significantly increased” Egypt’s access to previously untapped sources of climate finance and investment funds, the Ministry of International Co-operation said in a progress report last month.

The platform adopts a blended finance approach, addressing socio-economic challenges associated with climate change.

The total investment in the platform stands at $14.7 billion – $10 billion for the energy sector, $1.35 billion for the water sector and $3.35 billion for the agriculture and food security sector – the ministry said.

It has technical co-operation and financing from more than 30 stakeholders, covering debt swaps, guarantees, concessional loans, grants and private investments.

Political partners for the project include Germany and the US, while financing partners include the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, among others.

“When Egypt took over the presidency of Cop27, we wanted to be a JETP [just energy transition partnership] country,” Ms Al-Mashat said.

“We wanted to have a country platform that would help us move forward in our transition. We do not use coal, so we’re not a JETP country. And that’s where the idea [came] of having our own country platform that not only addresses mitigation or renewable energy, but also addresses food security and water security, which are extremely important for Egypt,” she said.