(AFP File photo)
By Mohamed Ellihweety
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met the African Ministers of Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) executive manager Wednesday, on the sidelines of the AMCEN conference in Cairo.
Environment Minister Khaled Fahmy said: “This could help the region achieve sustainable development and contribute to the eradication of poverty.”
AMCEN, was established in 1985 and includes 54 countries. The Conference has been held in Egypt for the second time, with the first conference on Egyptian soil being 30 years ago. It has been convened under the theme, “Managing Africa’s natural capital for sustainable development and poverty eradication”, and is set to take place over six days.
Side events include workshops and a press conference to discuss Green Economy study application which the UNEP said “will be applied in the future in Egypt”. It will also review the state of Africa’s environment and the progress of the previous Paris summit COP20’s outcomes.
In a bid to transform to more environmentally friendly ways, the AMCEN organisers announced the information will be made available only through digital platforms, including e-mail and flash drives.
The population increase is expected to drive energy demand, food consumption, transport requirements, demand for jobs and social services, and increased investments in infrastructure, according to the UNEP.
