Minister: Encouraging youth to engage in environmental work is investment opportunity
CAIRO - 5 May 2025: Egyptian Minister of Environment Dr. Yasmine Fouad opened Monday the symposium "Youth and Environmental and Development Sustainability: Axis for Shaping the Future."
At the beginning of the symposium, Dr. Fouad expressed her happiness at learning about pioneering student projects in the environmental field.
She also emphasized the importance of encouraging youth to engage in environmental work, not just raising awareness. She highlighted the significant role played by the Egyptian government and political leadership in transforming this issue and changing the prevailing notion among some that the environment is an obstacle to investment.
"This understanding has changed significantly, and the environment has become an opportunity for investment in many projects, such as new and renewable energy projects."
Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, went on explaining that the credit for increasing public awareness of the importance of the environment and changing the prevailing perception among some, is largely due to Egypt's hosting of the COP27 Climate Conference, the largest UN conference in the world focusing on a critical topic such as climate change.
This conference contributed to a tangible impact and a qualitative shift, clearly evident in the increased demand for environmental projects, which created greater job opportunities. She further emphasized the need to encourage young people to always view the environment as an opportunity for self-employment and to launch small projects that serve the environment while simultaneously generating financial returns.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad highlighted the successes of the COP27 climate conference, such as the launch of the Energy, Water, and Food Projects Linkage Program, which links renewable energy projects that attract investment and funding from development partners with agriculture and water projects linked to adaptation.
This required Egypt to issue a national plan and projects in this regard. The conference also resulted in the creation of a Loss and Damage Fund, which was activated at the next climate conference in the UAE, COP28, and its funding began at COP29. Egypt continues to chair the international initiative for nature-based solutions to address the impacts of climate change.
Regarding the cultivation of fruit trees, she explained that the Ministry has issued a guide for tree species suitable for each governorate and its needs, and that governorates are being assisted by providing nurseries to provide trees.
She also referred to the "Environment is a livelihood" campaign to educate farmers about the need to avoid burning agricultural waste and to promote available alternatives that can be a source of livelihood. She highlighted the important role of awareness-raising before imposing fines.
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