via Embassy of Switzerland
We’re now halfway through the international COP27 conference and, therefore, halfway through the outpouring of motivating ideas and action plans to combat the global climate crisis. With a plethora of heads of state, international organisations, and NGOs regularly pitching and listening to progressive proposals for change, COP27 has created many windows of opportunity for collaborative action to flourish at the intracity, national, and global levels.
Below are two outstanding outcomes reached last week at COP27 regarding Egypt’s collaborative efforts to mitigate climate change.
Egypt and Switzerland’s Joint Swisstech Initiative
A central purpose behind hosting this year’s climate conference in Egypt is to invite developed countries onto the soil of developing countries and induce the former to help the latter with its climate initiatives. With Switzerland and Egypt being trading partners, it was anticipated that the two countries would team up and develop a climate strategy for their reciprocal chains of export and imports.
SwissCham is a non-profit organisation dedicated to innovating Swiss and Egyptian business relations. In anticipation of COP27, the organisation introduced Swisstech, an initiative to make Swiss private sectors with ties with Egypt more environmentally considerate. Introduced last week at the conference, it features climate-friendly solutions relating to biodiversity, energy, waste, and water.
via the American University in Cairo
Progress on AUC’s Center for Water Excellence
The American University in Cairo is an academic pioneer in research and developing solutions to crises, including the climate. Of their projects is their Center for Water Excellence. Founded in 2019, this initiative organises events to raise awareness of climate change and engage youth to participate in enforcing change. At COP27 last week, the AUC presented the vast progress the programme has made over the past three years, including a mission providing hydro water irrigation to areas of Egypt.
