Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawy (L) and Minister of Transportation Kamel El-Wazir during a meeting on Saturday 19 March 19, 2022 (Photo courtesy: Ministry of Local Development)
The measure is the latest in the country’s efforts to transform the Egyptian coastal city into an eco-friendly city in preparation for the event.
The announcement was made during a meeting between Minister of Transportation Kamel El-Wazir and Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawy on Saturday, according to a statement by the local development ministry.
The conference is set to be attended by 30,000 participants and 120 heads of state, according to previous remarks by South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda.
The city has recently embarked on several projects to prepare for the COP27, including increasing green spaces and promoting electric vehicles to lower carbon emissions.
The city’s hotels and tourist and government facilities will also be operated by natural gas.
Sharm El-Sheikh is also set to be completely free of single-use plastic bags as of this June to reduce plastic waste, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad — who is also the conference’s ministerial envoy and coordinator — announced on Wednesday.
Furthermore, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt will adopt a comprehensive and neutral approach during its presidency of the event, noting that it will also support efforts to reduce emissions and provide funding for developing countries to deal with climate change.
Additionally, the country formed a committee presided over by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly that includes several ministers and other officials that will organise the event.
Additionally, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry was chosen to head the COP27. Egypt has also announced that economist Mahmoud Mohi El-Din — who has been serving as an executive director at the International Monetary Fund — has been appointed as the country’s high-level champion for climate action for the conference.
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