The 2015 Paris Agreement – whose central goal is to strengthen the global response to climate change by limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius – requires countries to prepare NDCs that they intend to achieve to pursue domestic mitigation measures.

The new report is an update of the one released in 2015 that sheds light on the measures Egypt has adopted since 2015 through 2030 to adapt to climate change, the minister said in a press conference following a cabinet meeting.

The step is part of the country's preparations for hosting the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, she noted.

The report mainly highlights the efforts exerted by Egypt to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, increase reliance on renewable energy sources and manage solid waste, in addition to green funding and energy policy reforms.

The report reflects Egypt's commitment to Paris conference’s outcomes, Foud stressed, noting that it includes the goals the state has pinpointed to reduce emissions in the energy, petroleum and transport sectors.

Egypt, according to the new NDCs, seeks to reduce 70 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, which represents a 33 percent reduction in emissions level.

The goal will be carried out through a series of measures, including increasing the percentage of renewable energy in electricity generation to 40 percent by 2030 and 42 percent by 2035, using smart grids.

This is in addition to expanding regional power interconnection, improving the efficiency of electricity generation at power stations, promoting decentralised renewable energy systems for subscribers and developing electricity transmission and distribution networks, the minister explained.

The document also covers the country's efforts in terms of the petroleum sector, clarifying that Egypt targets reducing 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 to reduce emissions by 65 percent.

Fouad, who is also COP27 ministerial envoy and coordinator, said such a goal will be achieved through several steps, including making use of the gasses generated from oil fields, supplying natural gas to more households, adopting energy efficiency measures in petroleum companies and manufacturing biodegradable plastic bags.

In addition to that, the minister said, the steps includes converting plastic waste into oil as an intermediate product for polyethylene production, producing medium-density wooden boards from rice straw, extracting algae oil to be used in biofuel production and generating bioethanol.

In the transport sector, the report sheds light on the country's target to reduce 8.9 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, a seven percent reduction, through expanding Cairo metro network, developing the Alexandria metro and the rehabilitation of the 150-year-old Alexandria's tramway.

Also, the measures include operating the monorail, the light rail and electric rapid train lines, developing public transport buses to run on low-carbon fuels, operating bus rapid transit (BRT) systems and carrying out the national road project, she further noted.

Fouad said the secretariat of of the UNFCCC lauded Egypt's efforts that were clearly manifested in the updated report that was submitted ahead of schedule.