Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment Manal Awad held talks with Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Julie Dabrusin on strengthening bilateral cooperation in climate action, environmental policy, and green finance. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 9th Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action (MoCA), held in Canada from October 31 to November 1.

Awad praised what she described as the constructive partnership between Egypt and Canada on climate and environmental issues, expressing hope for further collaboration in climate adaptation, green project financing, and institutional capacity building.

The two ministers exchanged views on key priorities for the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Brazil, stressing the importance of achieving tangible progress on climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity development, in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

Awad underscored the need to support developing and African countries in adapting to climate impacts, emphasizing the importance of accessible and adequate financing and highlighting the role of the Just Transition Work Programme in linking ambition with practical implementation.

The discussion also touched on the ongoing negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty. Awad outlined Egypt’s position, stressing that product design is a central tool for reducing plastic pollution, while rejecting direct production caps. She reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to independent financing mechanisms, economic alternatives, a just transition, and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, emphasizing that all decisions should be reached through consensus.

Minister Dabrusin commended Egypt’s leadership in regional climate diplomacy, particularly during its presidency of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, and expressed Canada’s interest in expanding cooperation with Cairo on sustainable development and global environmental challenges.