Egypt and Turkey Team Up for Climate Action Before COP31

Two countries in the Middle East are turning climate cooperation into concrete action, and the timing couldn't be better.

Egypt's Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad met with her Turkish counterpart Murat Kurum in Turkey this week to map out a shared environmental future. The meeting happened during a gathering of eight developing nations focused on climate solutions, just months before Turkey hosts the world's largest climate conference in November.

The ministers agreed to revive an environmental partnership between their countries, expanding it to cover a dozen key areas. Turkey will share its expertise in waste management with Egypt, while Egypt will help Turkey prepare for hosting COP31 by sharing lessons from its own successful climate summit in 2022.

Their cooperation plan touches nearly every environmental challenge facing the region. It includes reducing carbon emissions through green projects, protecting coastlines from pollution, developing early warning systems for extreme weather, and promoting sustainable farming that can withstand climate shifts.

Egypt is opening doors for Turkish investment in promising green projects through its Climate and Environment Investment Unit. These opportunities span renewable energy, recycling programs, ecotourism, and circular economy initiatives that turn waste into resources.

Minister Awad emphasized that technology sharing will be central to the partnership. Both countries want to make climate-friendly technologies more accessible and build systems to track their environmental progress accurately.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership represents more than just two countries working together. It signals a broader trend of Middle Eastern nations taking leadership roles in global climate action.

Egypt hosted COP27 in 2022, the United Arab Emirates hosted COP28 in 2023, and now Turkey will welcome world leaders to COP31 this November. Each conference has built on the achievements of the last, creating momentum for climate solutions that work for developing nations.

Minister Kurum announced plans to visit Egypt specifically to study how they organized their climate conference. He wants to ensure Turkey's summit delivers real action, not just promises, and supports communities adapting to climate change while building sustainable futures.

The partnership also connects to a larger commitment made by Egyptian and Turkish leaders in 2024 to strengthen ties across multiple sectors. Environmental cooperation sits at the heart of that vision, recognizing that climate change respects no borders and requires neighbors to work together.

Three countries in the Middle East are now proving that the region can lead on climate action, setting an example for cooperation that delivers results people can see and feel.