Cairo – Ashraf Abo Arafe
26 September – Thirteen Egyptian companies presented their business ideas before a three-member panel at the British Embassy in Cairo to win the chance to represent Egypt at the world’s largest green business ideas competition, Climate LaunchPad, in November.
Former Environment Minister Dr Laila Eskander, Founder of design company Fourty Nine Ashraf Tawakkol, Chairperson of Delta Inspire Neveen El-Tahiri, and Regional Program Manager at Cedare Dr. Amr Abd Elmegeed judged the competition.
After hearing their pitches, the panellists announced that Glassolina, The EverGreens were the winners of the national competition. The two companies will head to Amsterdam in November 2019 to participate in the Global Launchpad Competition. The winner of the global competition will receive a cash prize of €10,000. The runner up will receive €5,000, and the third place winner will win €2,500.
Through its programme Inspire Egypt, the British Embassy collaborated with Egyptian enterprise YouthinkGreen to bring the international competition to Egypt. In August, YouthinkGreen offered an intensive two-day boot camp for the Egyptian startups to coach them on how to develop and present their ideas.
Former Environment minister and chairperson for CID Consulting Dr Laila Eskander said: “My advice is that for us to challenge the definitions of what entrepreneurship is, what profit is, I must not just look at the money at the end of my annual statement. I must look at the well-being of everybody around me because we live in one planet.”
British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams: “I am proud that we launched the Inspire Egypt programme three years ago. It has given us a chance to encourage young Egyptians who are working on brilliant and innovative ideas to solve Egypt’s challenges. Today was yet another demonstration of how this country’s youth will lead it forward. It was also a reminder of how the UK remains committed to investing in Egypt’s future.”
Earlier this week, the UK and Egypt have developed a political call for action at the UN Climate Action Summit. The two countries are calling on global leaders to join them in taking immediate action to protect people, economies and the environment against the increasing impacts of climate change. UK Secretary of State for International Development Alok Sharma and Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad jointly presented the declaration, which provides a strategic framework for enhancing resilience and adaptation to climate changes.
The UK has won the bid to host the 26th Conference of the Parties, known as COP26, in partnership with Italy. The conference will bring together over 30,000 delegates from around the world, including climate experts, business leaders and citizens to agree ambitious action to tackle climate change.
