Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Tarek El-Molla and Australian Environment and Climate Action Minister Reece Whitby met on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.

El-Molla said modern mining technology was important to preserve the environment, especially Australia’s, advanced expertise.

He added that there were many mining opportunities in Egypt and that the country’s legislative reforms had made mining an attractive sector for investment.

Australian mining companies were already operating in Egypt, he said, adding that “we look forward to having similar cooperation with Australia in green hydrogen production in Egypt.”

The Australian minister said that Egypt presents a wonderful model in hosting the climate summit. He said there were great efforts in Australia to achieve zero emissions in the oil and gas industry by 2050.

Whitby said renewable energy was the future but the world needs to rely on fossil fuels such as gas during the transition. He said that projects to produce green hydrogen and reduce emissions would mean gas could be more safely burned.

Whitby said that Australia occupied the second place in the liquefied gas industry and seeks to achieve the same position in hydrogen production.

Australia has an advanced mining industry, he added and its leading companies operate in Egypt, said the minister.