UN Climate Change: Welcoming the 7th High-Level Climate Action Champion

Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin has been announced as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt. He will be joining Nigel Topping who continues in his role as the High-Level Climate Champion for the United Kingdom following the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow.

“I am very pleased to welcome Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin as the new High-Level Champion,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa. “In Glasgow, we saw a groundswell of action towards achieving 1.5°C and building resilience for the most vulnerable communities. I’m confident Dr. Mohieldin brings the skills, the experience and the commitment to build an even stronger momentum and achieve the deep transformation required to reach a zero-carbon, resilient future.”

Dr. Mohieldin is an economist with more than 30 years of experience in international finance and development. He is an Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund and has been the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda since February 2020.

The role of the High-Level Champion was created in 2015 at COP21 in Paris to help realise the ambitions of governments to lower carbon emissions and build resilience to climate change. The Champions specifically bridge the work of governments with the many voluntary and collaborative actions taken by cities, regions, businesses, investors and civil society.

COP26 witnessed the largest mobilisation of real economy actors ever seen, firmly integrating the non-state and government agendas by establishing shared near-term goals and the pathways to reach them.

As the international community prepares for COP27 in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, in November, the focus will be on converting this momentum into immediate action that will be reflected in curbing emissions and increasing resilience to climate impacts.

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin on his appointment as the 7th High-Level Champion for Climate Action for COP27,” said COP26 High-Level Climate Action Champion Nigel Topping. “I am immensely excited to be working with him on a dynamic non-state agenda, which is driving the ambition loop for accelerated government action to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.”

The two Champions will work together to advance their five-year plan to drive greater ambition from non-state actors to achieve a net-zero, climate-resilient future, building on the foundational leadership of the Marrakech Partnership.