Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Ministerial Coordinator and Envoy of the COP27 Climate Conference, concluded the activities of the Biodiversity Day, within the thematic days of the COP27 Climate Conference, in the presence of Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program.

Dr. Yasmine Fouad praised the momentum that the day witnessed from various activities, and the efforts of the work team in making this day a success, as well as the efforts of the United Nations Environment Program, and the distinguished participation of speakers from different backgrounds, whether biological diversity, climate or desertification, and representatives of governments, civil society and the private sector, where he discussed Today, the importance of preserving biodiversity and its relationship to climate change, its importance to the economy and society, securing food and the water cycle, as experts estimate that ecosystem services support about 50% of global GDP.
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The Minister of Environment indicated that the Biodiversity Day focused on expanding nature-based solutions in a way that preserves our biodiversity and rebuilds threatened species, at a time when nature has become a carbon sink, which necessitates taking quick steps; Halting deforestation immediately will reduce annual emissions by 10% and expand the range of nature-based solutions, providing more than 30% of the required emissions mitigation.
The Minister highlighted the ways in which biodiversity serves human life, as it is a source of food, oceans and marine ecosystems are important for climate stability by getting rid of about 90% of excess emissions, and 52% of the African continent`s GDP depends on nature, which is a shelter for the population. Indigenous people who consider it their motherland.

She also referred to the challenges facing biodiversity, as the World Wildlife Fund issued a statistic stating that 70% of vertebrates have disappeared from the earth since 1970, and the latest reports of the climate governing body warned of the loss of 99% of coral reefs if we exceed 2 degrees Celsius, guided by a talk John Kerry in his inaugural speech about humans destroying 50% of the planet`s species. In Egypt, 30% of marine life and two-thirds of coral reefs in the Red Sea are threatened by climate change, stressing that destroying nature means destroying ourselves.
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The Minister of Environment pointed out that the day focused on three main axes, starting with studying the current situation of biodiversity and its relationship to climate, then examples of successful solutions that benefit nature, climate and people to spread hope, and finally we discussed the vision of expanding the scope of urgent action for climate and nature, and emphasizing the importance of protecting and restoring biodiversity. which is highly affected by climate change, and making use of all possibilities to achieve mitigation and adaptation goals.

The Minister of the Environment stated that the day included presenting many examples of effective solutions that benefit nature, people and climate in Egypt and the world, such as coastal protection projects in Egypt, the Great Green Wall initiative in Africa, as well as national plans such as the German Federal Action Plan on nature-based solutions to climate and diversity. Biological, and the US roadmap for nature-based solutions to combat climate change, as the United States of America has allocated $ 25 billion for nature-based solutions for development investments.

The minister indicated that the future work vision includes emphasizing the importance of integrating nature and biodiversity into national plans, developing capacity-building, and mobilizing financing for biodiversity from the public and private sectors, with solutions such as building projects that link biodiversity and climate change to increase its viability and investment attractiveness, and the use of financing mechanisms. and the importance of developing a framework for monitoring project progress.
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