Egypt's Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, Manal Awad, met with India's Minister of State for External Affairs, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, in Cairo to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in various environmental and climate fields. The talks focused on strengthening ties in environmental emergency response, plastic waste reduction, and climate change mitigation. Awad expressed Egypt's eagerness to leverage its environmental expertise for joint initiatives with India.
The talks, attended by senior officials from both sides, centered on bolstering cooperation in environmental emergency response centers, reducing plastic waste, mitigating and adapting to climate change, biofuels, water quality, wetland protection, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources. Awad stated that Egypt is keen to build upon the expertise of its environmental institutions—particularly the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency—in areas like environmental emergency preparedness and response, noting that this experience could support joint initiatives with India. She also emphasized Egypt's interest in curbing plastic pollution and aligning positions in international negotiations for a global plastics agreement.
The meeting reviewed opportunities for collaboration on renewable and alternative energy sources, including biofuel production and utilization, as well as efforts to enhance water efficiency, safeguard wetlands, and preserve biodiversity. Awad stressed that these priorities are tightly linked to sustainable development goals and climate resilience in both nations. According to the ministry, discussions encompassed proposals to renew and broaden ties with Indian research and policy bodies, covering the formulation of national and international environmental policies, safe management of electronic and medical waste, and waste-to-energy solutions. Special focus was given to developing technical capacity for handling agricultural waste, such as rice straw and sugarcane residues, and transferring Indian biotechnology know-how to boost efficiency in this domain.
Awad highlighted the potential gains from Indian technical and economic cooperation programs in training Egyptian professionals in environmental areas, saying such efforts could fortify Egypt's capacity to tackle environmental and developmental challenges. She added that Egypt welcomes greater Indian investment in environmental projects and green technologies. The discussions also addressed an invitation from the Indian embassy in Cairo for Egypt to participate in the International Big Cats Alliance, an India-led effort to protect seven key big cat species, including tigers, lions, and cheetahs.
Awad reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to intensifying cooperation with India on environmental governance, climate action, and new and renewable energy, especially green hydrogen and green ammonia. She observed that Egypt's track record in cutting carbon emissions and promoting a just energy transition offers a solid base for tighter collaboration. In turn, Singh welcomed the strengthened partnership with Egypt, commending Awad's dual oversight of environment and local development. He underscored the strong connection between social and local development and environmental policy, notably in energy access and rural advancement.
Singh noted that renewable energy—particularly solar—forms a pillar of India's energy strategy, comprising about 40% of its energy mix, and voiced interest in broadening cooperation with Egypt on bioenergy and extended producer responsibility. He further invited Egypt to join an India-led initiative on climate-resilient infrastructure. The encounter highlighted the expanding realm of environmental collaboration between Egypt and India, as both pursue alignment of climate efforts with sustainable development and economic progress.