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Achievements and Planned Activities for (2000-2001) Global Atmospheric Pollution |
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| Reduction of Green-House Gas Emissions: | |
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There is growing evidence that the increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and others, collectively known as greenhouse gases (GHG), may lead to an increase in global temperatures. While not a major contributor to the world's total emissions of GHG, Egypt is vulnerable to the potential effects of global climate change such as rising sea levels and changed patterns of rainfall in the Nile Basin. Therefore, Egypt has joined the cooperative global efforts to confront the threats of climate change by ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1994 and signing the Kyoto Protocol in 1999. |
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EEAA plays a leading role in coordinating national efforts for the reduction of GHG emissions, through a National Committee on Climate Change. This committee is an inter-ministerial forum representing a wide range of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders responsible for establishing and following up on national policies on climate change. As the majority of Egypt's GHG emissions results from the burning of fossil fuels, the overall strategy adopted is to reduce GHG emissions by improved energy efficiency measures. Through its Climate Change Unit, EEAA is co-ordinating the numerous projects and activities carried out within the framework of climate change. On-going activities include: |
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| . | Annual updating of the GHG emissions inventory, with a focus on the emissions from the energy sector and the waste sector (burning and landfilling of solid wastes). | |
| . | Promotion of wind and solar energy as alternative sources for electricity generation through a number of large projects carried out by the New and Renewable Energy Authority. | |
| . | Various demonstration projects on cleaner fuels. The Fuel Cell Demonstration Project in Cairo, is one implemented in cooperation with the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and featuring eight fuel cell buses with associated hydrogen production supply facilities. Another project deals with the conversion of two-stroke motorcycle engines to compressed natural gas. | |
| . | A demonstration project on the recovery of methane from landfills, which is currently under implementation in cooperation with the Canadian Government. | |
| . | The preparation of a National Strategy on Clean Development Mechanism, within the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, initiated in 2000/2001 to explore the option of introducing market based instruments for reducing GHG emissions through the application of cleaner technologies. | |
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The development of an Energy Efficiency Strategy for Egypt, for which a framework was finalized in 2000/2001 with support from the Egyptian Environmental Policy Program. |
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| Ozone Depleting Substances: | |
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As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, Egypt is committed to gradually phase out the use of ozone depleting substances (ODS) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform and methyl bromide. These substances are mainly used in the refrigerating, air conditioning, foam, aerosol, electronic and metal cleaning industries as well as soil fumigation and grain storage activities (methyl bromide). This process is carried out in phases, and following the start of the phase concerned with freezing the use of these substances, in 2000, a Ministerial Decree of the Minister of State for Environmental Affairs (Decree 77 for 2000) was issued in this regard, prohibiting the imports of ODS controlled by the Montreal Protocol, without the notification of EEAA. Within its context, activities in 2000/2001 carried out along the following lines of action: |
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| . | Establishing an import/export licensing system in collaboration with the Customs Authority aiming at ensuring the monitoring, control and reporting of ODS consumption. | |
| . | Monitoring and control of imports and use of ODS in cooperation with Customs Authorities according to the Ministerial Decree number 77/2000. | |
| . | Raising awareness on alternatives to ODS and on the recovery and reuse of ODS in various equipment (refrigerators, air conditioners etc.), particularly targeting concerned industries. | |
| . | Providing technical assistance to Egyptian enterprises interested in phasing out ODS through the application of alternative substances. | |
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Future plans in this regard encompass the implementation of a quota and licensing system, starting 2002, wherein importation licences for ODS would only be granted conditional to the approval of EEAA. |
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Activities carried out in cooperation with the UNDP included the reconstruction and update of the existing database of industrial establishments handling ODS as well as the initiation of the "Halon Bank Management Project", which will enable Egypt to ban the imports of halons within the two coming years. Moreover, implementation of investment projects for the phase out of ODS in the rigid and flexible foam manufacturing sectors was carried out. |
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Furthermore, coordination and cooperation links with different international organizations involved in the phase out of ODS have been established, with the purpose of controlling and reducing the use of these substances. One important example of such cooperation is the development of investment projects, with support from UNIDO, for the phasing out of ODS in the domestic refrigeration, solvents, soil fumigation and grain storage sectors. Moreover, the Egyptian Refrigeration Management Plan for recovery and recycling projects for CFCs, targeting formal, informal, civil and military sectors, is under implementation. |
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