Through CEDARE’s latest collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Egypt, and the Egyptian ministry of environment, this report discusses how Egypt is in a better position now ‘than ever’, to move from planning to action regarding clean-air measures.
As 2020 came to a close, CEDARE in collaboration with FES Egypt celebrated its publication “Mainstreaming Electric Mobility in Egypt: Seeing the bigger picture of sustainable cities“. The training programs revolving around this policy document came at a very relevant time during the COVID-19 pandemic, when one of the major challenges in preventive measures is the provision of transportation alternatives, and remembering that electric mobility is only “a” solution and not “the” solution. Among the key highlights were the reminders that fuel-quality in Egypt is a fundamental prerequisite to cleaner air and parallel planning for walkability and cycling friendliness are essential to the bigger picture of a sustainable city. An introduction to the concepts of Micromobility has also been addressed with reflections on the necessary regulations that must be developed in the coming years.
On October and November 2020, CEDARE brought together a group of ten) to individuals whose work involves activism, advocacy or education around sustainable mobility for a TOT facilitated by Dr. Ahmed El-Dorghamy. The training of trainers was designed to provide a contextualized education on sustainable urban mobility and Low Emission Zones (LEZs). The module covered different types of low emission mobility modes including non-motorized mobility (walking and cycling), electric mobility and public transportation.
On October 21st, 2020, the Sustainable Growth Program (SGP) of CEDARE, represented by Dr. Ahmed El-Dorghamy, presented results of the refineries upgrades study for air quality improvement, delivered to the audience of the Egyptian Society for Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis (ESCT) in their 61st annual congress. It was chaired by Prof. Dr. Awawd Tag El-Din, President of Congress and Society, and of Pulmonology in Ain Shams University, and attended by a host of Egypt’s leading pulmonologists exchanging experience to advance efforts in improving public health.
In conclusion of its recent study, on July 5, 2020, the Sustainable Growth Program (SGP) of CEDARE in cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Industry of Egypt held a webinar on measures to address single-use plastic bags in Egypt. It was held with the presence of H.E. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of Egypt, H.E. Noke Masaki Ambassador of Japan in Egypt, and Mr. IWASAKI Akihiro, Senior Representative of JICA Egypt Office, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), among other esteemed representatives of key stakeholders and experts including the Plastic Technology Center and the Hurghada Environmental Protection Agency (HEPCA) among others. Key outcomes included the emphasis on the need to develop a legal framework to enable the transition towards such circular economy transitions and to enable and incentivize innovation and development of green businesses, as well as nudging the necessary behavior change among consumers.
On the 10th of March 2020 in Cairo – Egypt and at the premises of the Ministry of Communication & Information Technology (MCIT), Switzerland and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced in a press conference their agreement on the extension of the Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) project in Egypt, originally launched in 2016 and completed in 2018, through an additional grant contribution of 1.2 million CHF for the period 2020-2023.