The Prime Minister of Egypt, Mostafa Madbouly, has met with the Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad to follow up with the number of work files of the ministry.
The meeting held extensive discussions over a number of mandates and directives issued by the Prime Minister regarding environmental status, solid waste, nature reserves, environmental tourism, and the environmental investment file.
During the meeting, the Minister of the Environment and PM Mostafa Madbouly reviewed the republic-level position on the environmental situation and outlined efforts to increase the percentage of achieved reduction in air pollution concentrations in 2022.
“The situation of pollution reduction in the Gulf of Suez and the ratio of the implementation of repair plans for a number of facilities” were discussed.
In terms of the pollution loads (organic loads) on Lakes, including Qaron Lake, and Manzala Lake, the pollution burden reduction stance on the Bay of Aboqir in the Mediterranean, and the pollution reduction stance on the Nile after the implementation of many environmental reform plans were also followed up during the meeting.
In this regard, Minister Yasmin Fouad referred to the efforts of the Standing Committee on Industrial Exchange, explaining the completion of the committee of the environmental and operational position of the processing plants as well as the stations receiving industrial exchange in (52) stations.
These are the stations of the most significant quantitative and qualitative impact across the country, adding that the implementation of the corrective procedures of the plants and the completion of Passing through 700 facilities with industrial sewage in (16) major industrial areas.
It was further indicated that traffic results showed compliance with the sewage of (530) industrial facilities, environmental correction plans of (170) facilities are being implemented, with an average implementation rate of 65%, and continued follow-up until completion of implementation and compliance.
Regarding the solid waste file, the Minister of the Environment explained the solid waste system Executive Plan, outlining the accumulation of 3.2 million tons, in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Development and stakeholders.
Furthermore, the implementation from stationary and mobile intermediary stations, waste recycling plants, recycling lines, etc., was also mentioned. It was carried out from health cemeteries across the Republic.
The Minister touched upon the results of the second program, “Operation Contracts”, in different regions in a number of provinces, the results of the implementation of the Integrated Waste System Work Plan, explaining the increased efficiency of waste collection, and the increase of alternative fuel production from 1.3 thousand tonnes/day in 2017 to 3.7 thousand tonnes/ day in 2022, and is expected to reach that amount To 10.7k tonnes/day by 2035.
Regarding nature reserves, the Minister presented the executive position of the development work in various reserves at the level of the Republic, and the opportunities for investment proposed to implement them, magnifying the potential and position we have in this regard.
Minister Yasmin Fouad reviewed climate enhancement efforts that support investment in nature reserves. She noted that it included the development of the system of practice permits for projects within reserves.
The projects contributed to modifying the duration of permits, adding new activities, new areas and reserves that were not listed before, encouraging and attracting more investment within reserves, she added.
During the meeting, the Minister touched upon the eco-tourism file, a number of figures and ratios for the analysis of the local and international tourism market, its associated activities, and targets for the Egyptian market, a sign of efforts to expand environmental tourism activities at the levels of nature reserves within the Republic.
Opening channels to communicate with investors owing to compensation or fines, and explaining legal reasons, had a significant impact in raising awareness of paying commitment away from long-term litigation proceedings, the Minister explained.
Yasmin Fouad, Minister of Environment, also touched on the efforts in the Environmental and Climate Investment Support File, explaining that the Environment and Climate Investment Unit was created in February 2023.
The unit was responsible for solving investor problems, facilitating procedures for issuing approvals and permits, and identifying promising investment opportunities in the areas of environment and climate, with linking between All stakeholders who aim to encourage environmental and climate investment in Egypt.
In this regard, the Minister pointed out that a conference on environmental and climate investment will be organized in Egypt, scheduled to be held in July, with the participation of various stakeholders from the government, banking sector, private sector companies, entrepreneurs, and international institutions.
The conference will be aimed to present investment opportunities in the areas of environment and climate, and review achieved success opportunities In the Egyptian market in the areas of environmental and climate investment.
It is said that the conference will witness the launch of the electronic platform for environmental and climate investment in Egypt, which will include investment packages, market information, available funding programs and opportunities, and many important data for those who want to invest.
