Egypt’s Minister of the Environment Yasmine Fouad has emphasized that preserving the environment and preserving the planet requires the concerted efforts of all forces, given that governments cannot alone face climate change in the interest of every individual living on this planet.
This came during her speech at the opening of the eighth edition of the Annual Conference for Research and Creativity 2023, which is organized by the American University in Cairo (AUC), from 12 to 16 March.
Fouad said that the COP27 was a test that Egypt succeeded in passing with excellence, given its critical timing, which witnessed the world passing through a health pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis, in addition to political and economic crises and crises in energy and water.
“Despite all these crises, Egypt was able to put the issue of climate change at the top of its priorities and was able to attract the world’s attention to that important conference in Sharm El-Sheikh and the launch of National Strategy for Climate Change 2050,” Faud said.
The Minister of Environment called on everyone, especially youth, to pay attention to the issue of climate change, noting that it can be confronted through innovation and new ideas, explaining that there are a number of sectors that the private sector has entered to invest in through announcing green incentives in four sectors, which are new and renewable energy, waste, plastic and green hydrogen.
She noted that the ministry is working on offering opportunities to implement a number of activities within the natural reserves, as a number of activities have been implemented within the Wadi El Rayan Reserve in Fayoum, for example.
Ahmed Dalal, the President of the American University in Cairo (AUC), pointed out that the conference includes various activities of undergraduate and postgraduate students in all disciplines, as it gives them the opportunity to present their research and the results of their creativity in the fields of sciences, humanities, social sciences, economics and the arts.
The conference also aims to promote knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary research collaboration, and projects of social or economic value. Through the conference, AUC’s strategic priorities, focus on research capacity, stimulation of creativity on campus, and exploration of critical regional and global issues are highlighted.