● Minister of International Cooperation: The alliance aims to strengthen cooperation between the relevant stakeholders, especially the major international philanthropic institutions, to advance the climate action agenda.
● The PM of Norway, H.E. Jonas Gahr Støre, commended Egypt for its efforts in the green transformation, and on the partnership between the government and the Norwegian private sector to expand sustainable energy projects, especially green hydrogen.
● The GEAPP will work to create 150 million jobs over the next decade and expand access to renewable energy for about 1 billion people.
The Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat participated in the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) Global Leadership Council, as a founding member of the alliance, whose members include: The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA foundation, and the Bezos Earth Fund, many international institutions and government representatives. This took place within the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held in New York, and was chaired by Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, and Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.
Launched today, the GEAPP aims to expand the equitable transition to sustainable energy worldwide, and to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, through cooperation between international leaders, and by promoting joint action between relevant philanthropic institutions, governments in emerging and developed economies, technology companies and international financial institutions; pushing the green transition, especially in developing countries, as well as enabling access to sustainable energy for inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth.
The GEAPP sets targets, including the creation of 150 million jobs over the next decade, reducing 4 gigatons of carbon emissions, and expanding access to clean energy for about 1 billion people worldwide by creating the ideal environment, stimulating private sector engagement, and supporting innovative solutions through entrepreneurship in cooperation with the aforementioned philanthropic institutions.
In his opening speech, Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre emphasized that successive global crises are slowing progress towards a comprehensive and equitable transition to clean energy, coupled with the challenges of the war in Ukraine, the global energy crisis and rising temperatures. He added that as COP27 approaches, accelerating climate action has become urgent, especially by supporting emerging countries to reduce emissions and expand clean energy projects.
Støre also commended Egypt's commitment to achieving a green economy transition, and in promoting climate action and sustainable energy, noting the close partnership between the Norwegian private sector and the Government of Egypt, represented by Norwegian company “Scatec”, to expand renewable energy and green hydrogen projects.
Moreover, Al-Mashat stressed the importance of mobilizing international efforts through multilateral cooperation to advance the climate agenda, consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). H.E. also emphasized the role of philanthropic institutions in cooperation with international financial institutions to provide concessional financing that can support emerging and developing economies in achieving a just green economy transition.
The Minister also reviewed national efforts to promote climate action and the transition from pledges to implementation, sharing the recent launch of Egypt’s Country Platform for NWFE Program, the nexus of water, food and energy sectors. This practical, and replicable example, brings together all development partners, with the private sector and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), to provide development financing, technical support, capacity-building and private sector investments for the program's list of projects.
The GEAPP is co-chaired by Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Norway and Rajiv J. Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation, and includes many members such as H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation; the United Nations Development Programme’s Administrator, Achim Steiner; the Director-General of International Solar Alliance, Ajay Mathur; President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina; the CEO of Bezos Earth Fund, Andrew Steer; Chairman of the Board, Bank of America Europe, Anne Finucane; President of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende; CEO and Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, Damilola Ogunbiyu; President of the World Bank Group, David Malpass; Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol; Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Francesco La Camera; and Chairman of the DRE Venture, Jonathan Berman; the CEO of RMI, Jules Kortenhorst; as well as representatives from Tufts University, U.S. Agency for International Development, Inter-American Development Bank, British International Investment, the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2016-2022), the IKEA Foundation, Minister for Ecological Transition, Republic of Italy, the United Nations, and the European Investment Bank.
The Minister is participating in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held in New York, under the theme, “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges”, to address the triple crises of COVID-19, climate change and Russian-Ukrainian crisis. The meetings discuss a number of important topics, notably food insecurity, energy prices and disruptions to global supply chains.
Recently, the Ministry of International Cooperation, in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Environment, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, organized the second edition of the Egypt-International Cooperation Forum (Egypt-ICF), and the meeting of African Ministers of Economy, Finance and Environment, under the auspices and presence of H.E. President Abdel Fattah Sisi, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The forum witnessed the participation of more than 23 African governments, and around 20 discussion sessions, workshops and roundtables were held to galvanize the international community to support Africa’s climate change agenda, and to consolidate messages ahead of "Finance Day" during COP27.
Link for Information: https://www.energyalliance.org/news-insights/coalition-of-global-public-and-private-sector-leaders-begin-breaking-down-barriers-to-just-energy-transitions/