CAIRO - 22 August 2022: Ministries of International Cooperation, Environment and Communications held an event Monday to launch the global initiative“ClimaTech Run 2022”.
The ClimaTech Run 2022 aims to attract and motivate technology startups working in the field of combating climate change.
This aim will be achieved through innovative solutions and sustainability, in light of the preparations for the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) will be the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, to be held from 6 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
The initiative is being launched in partnership with the USAID, the African Export-Import Bank, the World Food Program, Google, the United Nations Population Fund, General Motors, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Microsoft, Falcon Startups, and other partners.
“This event sends a powerful message that through innovation, startups, and youths, we can better our environment, for our lives and for the future generations as well,” Minister of Communication Amr Talaat said during the launch of the initiative.
Talaat added that ICT is based on innovation, noting that “the more we think innovatively , the more we succeed.”
He also said that his ministry built 12 incubators throughout the country to receive youths and help and support startups in order to achieve their dreams.
According to the Communication Minister, his ministry works on several initiatives to improve the environment from a technology perspective, referring to the partnership with the Ministry of Environment in the e-waste initiative.
He concluded his speech by emphasizing the importance of having Africa as the center of the coming COP27, and pointing to the significance of digital arts which made the ministry to inaugurate a faculty for it.
For her part, Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad said, during her speech, that there are many innovative ideas that have been implemented recently to reduce pollution and address climate change, including the project of participatory bicycles at Fayoum University and the university city, and the launch of the “E-tadweer” application to collect electronic waste.
E-Tadweer is the first national digital platform that empowers the supply chain for the recycling industry, as well as decreasing the environmental impact of e-waste contamination on the environment, according to the Application home page. It provides Drop Off points at its partners locations for the customers to drop off their e-waste and gives its users e-vouchers as a reward.
Fouad pointed out that all pioneering youth ideas in those environmentally friendly fields are adopted.
She added that the climate change crisis and its impact has become an undeniable fact, as climate changes affect every home in the world.
Minister of International Cooperation, rania Al-Mashat, affirmed on having all youth from all over the world to participate in the initiative, describing it as “global initiative not a local one”, pointing to the COP where all wanted for the youths from all over the world to be able to actually connect through it.
“Today’s launch of a website enables the youths to submit the proposals which will be available for one month till September 22. A shortlist will be announced on Oct 5,” Al-Mashat elaborated. She noted that the journey of the initiative will actually start in November when the shortlisted will gather and connect in bootcamps.
The minister expressed her hope that the submitted projects would be used to benefit the environment.
"We seek to access various opportunities in the agricultural fields, water resource management, and how to adapt the environment in order to address climate change," she added.
Al-Mashat added that we are all diverse and different, but we have one goal and that is to protect our planet.
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