Switzerland advocates for a strong work program on climate protection

For Switzerland, the main question to be addressed at COP27 is how to reach the existing goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. To realize this, an ambitious plan for climate protection is required that shoulders the responsibility on those countries and sectors with the highest emissions.

Switzerland also plans to adopt implementation rules for market mechanism. They shall allow countries to implement climate protection projects abroad and have the achieved emission reductions credited to their own climate targets. Also on the agenda are talks on a new joint financing target for supporting climate protection measures in developing countries and for helping them in dealing with loss and damages for the period after 2025. Furthermore, Switzerland will advocate that investments in climate protection are to be strengthened and that all countries, who have the means, contribute. The private sector too should join these efforts. Financial flows are to be directed in a climate-friendly manner.

The President of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis, will attend the Leaders Summit on 7 November. He will also take part at a round table on food security. On the sidelines of the Summit, President Ignazio Cassis will inaugurate the Pavilion of the Swiss-Egyptian Chamber of Commerce (SwissCham Egypt) and the “swisstech” exhibition that features innovative solutions by the Swiss cleantech sector.

Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga is expected to attend the World Climate Conference on 16 November. Together with the Ministers for the Environment of other countries, she will participate in the negotiations at the ministerial level and in the decision-making process of the conference. She will also lead the Environmental Integrity Group (Georgia, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, South Korea and Switzerland) that is chaired by Switzerland.

Raising awareness on climate change through art

During the Leaders Summit, Egyptian visual artist Aya Tarek and Swiss musician Simon Petermann will present an excerpt of their show “WAKING the GIANTS” that opened on 2 November 2022 at The Factory (previously Townhouse Gallery) in Downtown Cairo. The two artists got together for a full year to collect data from the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science of the University ETH Zurich. Using artificial intelligence, they translated the data on climate change – from the rapidly melting snowcaps of the Alps in Switzerland to the alarming rise of sea levels in Alexandria – into an artistic experience. Their show “Waking the Giants” is supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, the Embassy of Switzerland as well as other Swiss cultural institutions. The event at COP27 will take place in the Pavilion of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI).

Switzerland’s international cooperation in Egypt

Egypt has been a key partner country for Switzerland’s international cooperation for over 40 years. The promotion of green growth and sustainable inclusive urban development is an important pillar of the current Swiss Cooperation Programme 2021-2024. Switzerland supports the green bonds issuance; the development of environmental social and governance frameworks for private sector green finance as well as start-ups in the green economy. It also developed better waste management schemes for 300,000 people and improved access to potable water for 600,000 people in poor neighbourhoods in Upper Egypt.

Switzerland promotes spaces for dialogue on sustainable development and climate changes between governmental and non-governmental actors. It does so both at national and local levels for example by raising awareness  on environmental actions in schools, universities and more broadly in youth centres all over Egypt.

In 2022, in addition to its main engagement, the Embassy of Switzerland supported Egypt’s COP27 presidency in the organization of the conference, together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the European Union (EU), the Embassy of Denmark and the African Climate Foundation.

In line with the goals of the climate conference, the Swiss delegation will use bicycles to move around Sharm El Sheikh.