Egypt’s Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad participated in a virtual meeting, on Saturday, to discuss South Korea’s new strategy to combat climate change amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The online meeting was organised by South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance.
South Korea’s National Strategy for Green Growth (2009-2050) provides a comprehensive policy framework for short- and long-term green growth. The strategy aims to promote new eco-friendly growth engines, enhance quality of life for citizens, and contribute to international efforts to fight climate change.
Presenting a speech at the conference, Fouad said the global pandemic was both a challenge and an opportunity which has forced the world to consider the mechanisms of unsustainable development processes. She particularly highlighted the importance of this consideration for countries whose economies face challenges.
“On the other hand, COVID-19 is an opportunity to see how we can work better, how to implement the mechanisms of sustainability and how we can change the way we work on a daily basis,” she said. “The green strategy for recovery requires us to not only look at our own development process, but to look also at paving the way for future generations to use natural resources.”
The minister said that much of the conference was concentrated on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and accelerating climate work. Two aspects, namely land degradation and preserving biological diversity, were absent from the talks, but which go hand-in-hand with climate work.
Fouad noted that, for a green recovery to be achieved, Egypt needs to focus on integrating sustainability standards during its development processes.
The meeting was attended by Green Climate Fund Executive Director Yannick Glemarec, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, and a number of climate experts.
