Egypt has urged the international community to scale up and streamline climate finance for developing countries, arguing that global environmental goals cannot be achieved without more predictable and equitable funding.
The appeal was made during the eighth assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Uzbekistan, where Egypt emphasized the need for stronger financial support to address climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.
In a statement delivered on behalf of Environment and Local Development Minister Manal Awad, Assistant Minister Hoda El-Shawadfy said developing countries face a dual challenge of meeting environmental commitments while continuing to address poverty, food insecurity and energy access.
Egypt said environmental action and sustainable development are closely linked, warning that many developing economies cannot meet increasingly ambitious global targets without sufficient financing.
The country commended the Global Environment Facility for its long-standing role in supporting environmental programmes and implementing multilateral agreements over the past three decades.
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It highlighted growing global pressures including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, water scarcity and rising debt burdens, which are placing additional strain on developing economies.
Egypt also welcomed new initiatives under the GEF’s ninth replenishment cycle, particularly programmes focused on drylands, drought management and ecosystem restoration.
The statement called for greater emphasis on water security, drought resilience and sustainable land management, which are increasingly critical issues for climate-vulnerable regions.
A key focus of Egypt’s message was the need to simplify access to climate finance by reducing administrative barriers, lowering transaction costs and expanding direct funding channels for national institutions.
While acknowledging the role of blended finance, Egypt stressed that grant-based funding should remain central, particularly for countries facing significant development constraints.
The government also argued that new international negotiations on plastic pollution should be backed by additional funding, rather than reallocating resources from existing environmental agreements.
Egypt reiterated that developing countries should not be expected to meet rising global environmental obligations without adequate and predictable financial support.
The statement reaffirmed Cairo’s commitment to working with international partners to strengthen the Global Environment Facility and ensure its next funding cycle delivers sufficient scale and fairness.
Analysts say Egypt’s position reflects a broader push among developing countries for reforms in global climate finance architecture, as many governments face rising adaptation costs amid worsening climate impacts.
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The debate comes as climate-vulnerable economies increasingly call for expanded grant funding, debt relief mechanisms and improved access to international environmental funds to support long-term resilience planning.
