Ecologic Institute's Lena Donat provided the European perspective on the Paris Agreement and the outcomes of COP22 in Marrakesh at the 45th Cairo Climate Talks, titled "COP22: Fostering Climate Change Resilience in Egypt". The event brought together decision-makers as well as representatives from business, academia and civil society.

In November 2016, negotiators from around the world assembled in Marrakesh at COP22 to discuss the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement entered into force in record time, less than a year after its adoption in December 2015. Governments now need to prepare for the implementation of their national climate plans (nationally determined contributions, NDCs) but lack of accurate emission data, of know-how and of funding are challenges that still need to be addressed. At COP22, many new initiatives were launched that intend to address these challenges and foster cooperation across actors. The high level of political support shown for the Paris Agreement across governments and stakeholders brought a very positive spirit to COP22, despite the outcomes of the US elections.

Egypt has only contributed a small share of globale greenhouse gas emissions in the past, but emissions are rising. Egypt will also be heavily impacted by the consequences of climate change. What does the new Paris Agreement imply for Egypt? How does Egypt prepare for the implementation of the Agreement? And what were the achievements of COP22 for the African continent?

The Cairo Climate Talks addressed these questions in two different events. At a panel discussion attended by around 100 people, Lena Donat took the stage alongside Wael Abou El Magd, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Environment and Sustainable Development of Egypt, Dr. Maged Mahmoud, Director for projects and technical affairs at the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Hoda Baraka, Global Communication manager for 350 organization, and Mahmoud El Refai, Siemens Project Manager for Power Generation Services. The panelists discussed the outcome of the COP22 summit and the future of renewable energy in Egypt. Lena Donat also presented her views at a workshop with Egyptian experts.

The Cairo Climate Talks are a series of events meant to provide a platform to exchange experiences, raise awareness and foster cooperation between policy makers, business people, scientists and civil society. The Cairo Climate Talks are conceived, organized and hosted in cooperation between the German Embassy in Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, the German Science Center (DWZ), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).