Transport Minister Kamel el Wazir said on Sunday the COP27 conference, to be hosted by Egypt in November, aims at turning words as regards climate-related issues into action and get all sides to shoulder their responsibilities in this regard.

He said the ministry will take part in all seminars to be held on the sidelines of the conference to shed light on measures taken to preserve the environment at Egyptian ports and efforts to turn them into green ports.

The minister was speaking at a ceremony marking World Maritime Day 2022 organized by the International Maritime Organization.

Themed "New technologies for greener shipping" , the minister said World Maritime Day 2022 reflects the need to support a green transition of the maritime sector into a sustainable future while leaving no one behind.

It provides an opportunity to focus on the importance of a sustainable maritime sector and the need to rebuild better and greener in a post-pandemic world, he added.

Though emissions released by Egypt do not exceed 0.6 percent, the county is one of the countries hard hit by the negative effects of climate change. That's why Egypt put climate change issue on the top of its priorities and launched in May the National Strategy for Climate Change 2050, the minister said.

He said international maritime transport contributes 3 percent to emissions release worldwide, a fact that requires international cooperation to introduce radical changes in the maritime transport industry.

He made clear that Egypt took many steps towards green maritime transport, including clinching international agreements and partnerships, developing ports in accordance with international standards, setting up labs to measure emissions that cause air pollution and using solar energy in power generation.

MENA