British Embassy Supports Environment Festival ahead of COP26

The British Embassy in Cairo is supporting the Greenish Environment Festival, the first of its kind in Egypt, this Friday, September 3rd.

This came ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26, set to be hosted in the UK next November.

The festival brings together sustainability creativity, entrepreneurs, representatives from various non-governmental organizations, and artists to discuss the environmental situation in Egypt, which is bidding to host COP27 next year.

It will feature around 100 workshops, 5-panel discussions, and several musical performances to allow participants to explore the future of sustainable development in Egypt, experience engaging activities focused on protecting the environment, support local businesses showcasing their environmentally-friendly products, and watch artists make their installations live using onsite waste materials.

Two of the top panel discussions featured in the festival will be centered around policies towards a greener economy and the road to COP26, exploring how countries can come together and take serious action to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Qudsi Rasheed, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Cairo, will be taking part in those panels alongside Italian Ambassador Giampaolo Cantini, Deputy Director of the British Council, Ruth Cocks, and Head of International Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy in Cairo, Valerie Liechti.

British Ambassador to Egypt, Gareth Bayley, said: “I am delighted to see that the first event our embassy is supporting since my arrival in Egypt is focused on climate. Not only because this is a key priority for the UK, but also because the Greenish Environment Festival is the first of its kind in Egypt.

"I hope will lead to many more such events in the future. We are proud to participate and take part in these vital conversations, shoulder to shoulder with Egypt, our partner," he added.

"Later this year, in November, the UK will be hosting COP26, to continue the same conversations but on a global scale. We need to act now: the warnings from scientists and climate experts about the threat posed by climate change could not be clearer."

"We will be able to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects, but only with unwavering commitment, ambition, and ingenuity. This is why events like this are so important, bringing together youth-led organizations, industry experts, and politicians to create new ideas, make connections, and drive the climate agenda forward," he said.

The UK and Egypt have been working tirelessly together on the climate agenda, both leading the Adaptation Action Coalition launched in January of this year.

The UK is committed to working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies, and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire action.