Egypt names foreign minister Sameh Shoukry to lead Cop27 climate talks

(Climate Home News, 17 Jan 2022) The Egyptian government has chosen foreign minister Sameh Shoukry to lead the Cop27 climate talks in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

The country’s environment minister Yasmine Fouad, a climate scientist, will be Cop27 “ministerial coordinator and envoy”.

Their appointments were announced in a joint statement with the UK after they met with Cop26 president Alok Sharma.

While Shoukry has no significant experience or expressed interest in climate change, Fouad was lead author on a chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report on desertification in 2017 and co-chaired finance talks at Cop26 in November.

Fouad has worked for UN organisations, NGOs and universities and is a veteran of the environment ministry, having become the deputy minister in 2014 and promoted to the top job in 2018.

Of the 26 Cop summits, 21 have been chaired by men. At every summit, there have been more male delegates than female.

External link

Climate Home News, 17 Jan 2022: Egypt names foreign minister Sameh Shoukry to lead Cop27 climate talks