Egypt

United States Agency for International Development Press Release November 18, 2022 During COP27, the annual UN Climate Conference held from November 7 to November 18, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced multiple initiatives to advance progress to combat the climate crisis. These announcements complement the Agency’s ongoing efforts to support partner countries around the world transition to renewable energy, conserve globally critical ecosystems like tropical forests, and prepare for climate change impacts that are already upon us. Negotiations at COP27 continue amidst calls from the global community for a renewed commitment to the goal of holding warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and increased support for countries confronting the impacts of the climate crisis. USAID Accelerates Climate Finance. On November 9, USAID announced a suite of programs and targets to increase private investment in climate solutions and make progress on its COP26 commitment to mobilize $150 billion in climate finance by 2030. These include a new Sustainable Banking Alliance to grow the capacity of banks based in USAID partner countries to increase their climate investments, a partnership with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to expand our work in supporting the use of green finance mechanisms such as green bonds across the globe, and the launch of the Climate Finance Investor Network to facilitate faster engagement with the private sector to tackle climate adaptation and mitigation. Read the full press release; watch Chief Climate Officer Gillian Caldwell’s remarks(link is external). Global Expansion of Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative. On November 11, Administrator Power announced the expansion of the Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative (CACCI) from Africa into a global program. CACCI is a USAID mechanism to provide technical assistance to countries in delivering on their climate goals under the Paris Agreement. USAID …

United States Agency for International Development Press Release November 17, 2022 Today at COP27, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $33 million to provide communities at risk of climate-prone disasters – including cyclones, droughts, and floods – with access to effective early warning systems. Increasing access to early warning systems translates to early action, allowing communities to prepare for disasters before they happen. Alternatively, lack of early warning systems can lead to a loss of lives and economic assets. To help communities prepare for impending climate hazards and adapt to climate change, USAID is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and national authorities in vulnerable areas around the world to scale up early warning systems and build the capacities of their local-level meteorological and disaster management agencies. The U.S. government has a long history of supporting the development of climate-related early warning systems around the world. For example, a flash flood guidance system that was developed and implemented by USAID, WMO, NOAA, and the Hydrologic Research Center enables national authorities to monitor and provide early warnings of flash flooding to more than three billion people in 67 countries. These efforts are helping to deliver on the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) that President Biden announced at COP26 last year, a whole-of-government effort, to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change. Investing in early warning systems around the world supports the goals of PREPARE by helping communities to reduce risks of climate- and extreme weather-related disasters and adapt to climate change. USAID stands with communities affected by climate change and extreme weather around the world and continues to work towards …

Media Note Office of the Spokesperson November 18, 2022 As part of the Connecting Climate Entrepreneurs (CCE) initiative, Special Representative for Global Partnerships Dorothy McAuliffe and Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton of the International Trade Center (ITC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The MOU formalizes collaboration between the Department of State and ITC on various CCE activities, starting with the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Climate Smart Platform that is designed to showcase and scale SME climate smart products and solutions, assist with their compliance to established environmental standards and certifications, and solidify their commitment to low-carbon practices. The SME Climate Smart Platform will also assist large buyers with identifying products that meet their climate objectives and diversify their supply chains. Through the partnership, ITC will identify and recruit SMEs to join the platform and engage with third-party organizations such as Global Organic Textile Standard and Gold Standard to ensure SME compliance with environmental standards. The Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships, and the Office of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will encourage large private sector purchasers to utilize the SME Climate Smart Platform, and socialize the platform with U.S. embassies and appropriate SMEs. To view a recording of the launch of the SME Climate Smart Platform, please visit: https://www.state.gov/u-s-center-at-cop27/ CCE is a public-private partnership between the Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships and private sector entities to leverage the U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystem to advance climate entrepreneurship worldwide. CCE was launched in collaboration with LinkedIn, Salesforce, and General Electric in 2021 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, …

Media Note Office of the Spokesperson November 18, 2022 Special Representative for Global Partnerships Dorothy McAuliffe hosted an entrepreneurial pitch competition at the 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. She was joined by Monica Medina, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental & Scientific Affairs. The competition was part of the Connecting Climate Entrepreneurs (CCE) initiative, which is designed to nurture entrepreneurial climate solutions to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate priority while advancing global economic development. The competition featured four climate solutions from the USA, Ghana, Israel, and Egypt that are ready to scale. The entrepreneurs included: Alexis Pascaris (USA), the Founding Director of AgriSolar Consulting, which is dedicated to advancing innovation at the food-energy-water nexus by creating synergy between solar energy and agriculture. Audrey S-Darko (Ghana), Founder of Sabon Sake, which enables farmers to ease the transition towards climate resilient farming and food systems while earning additional income through a unique carbon financing tool. Adital Ela (Israel), Founder and CEO of Criaterra, a company focused on developing manufacturing technologies which replace the conventional kiln-firing processes and produce fully recyclable, high performance, and practical construction materials. Kamal ElSoueni, Co-founder and CEO at Rabbit Mobility, the first micro-mobility platform for short-distance transportation using environmentally friendly vehicles in Egypt and North Africa. The showcase at COP27 provided an opportunity for early-stage startups to compete for a range of prizes from private sector judges including Sue Duke, Vice President, Head of Global Public Policy & Economic Graph at LinkedIn; Teresa Christopher, Head of Climate, Sustainability, and Environmental Policy at Amazon; …