Cementing its leadership in digital transformation and energy management, Schneider Electric signed a cooperation agreement with South Sinai Governorate to put into effect several initiatives on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh in November. The move comes in line with the government’s strategy to carry out its climate agenda and achieve sustainability.
The cooperation will witness the rolling out of several initiatives, with Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Hub leading these efforts, along with “The Green Challenge” competition for students of King Salman International University in South Sinai, an environmental conservation initiative and Schneider EVlink Charging Stations for electric cars, to be installed across the governorate.
Commenting on the partnership, Major General Khaled Fouda, Governor of South Sinai, said that the governorate is fully prepared to support all ideas and carry through projects that will further reinforce Egypt’s stance on the international map during COP27. “There is cohesion between all ministries and state agencies to implement projects that will transform Sharm El-Sheikh into a sustainable environmental model in collaboration with Schneider Electric. This is the latest in a series of initiatives and activities undertaken by the governorate in cooperation with Schneider Electric to provide sustainable energy solutions and support local communities in the governorate,” Fouda added.
For his part, Sebastien Riez, Cluster President of Schneider Electric Northeast Africa & Levant, praised this fruitful cooperation with South Sinai Governorate to reinforce its efforts in transforming Sharm El-Sheikh into the first green city in Egypt. “The move comes in line with the company's strategy to achieve environmental sustainability and provide access to energy; by introducing innovative solutions to conserve the environment, empower local communities through energy solutions, enable them to achieve their development goals and evade collateral damage on the climate,” Riez remarked.
Fouad Zayed, Digital Energy Management and EcoStruxure Vice President, Schneider Electric North East Africa and Levant, said that the new initiatives agreed upon with the governorate can contribute to reducing carbon emissions and even more to protect the environment. Schneider Electric solutions work towards optimizing energy use and expanding in using clean energy sources. “This was evident in the cooperation with the governorate to extract well water, pump water using solar energy, and provide renewable energy to remote areas, among others.”
Sherif Abdelfattah, Vice President of Government Affairs, Schneider Electric Egypt and North East Africa commented saying “Schneider Electric has a track record of successful projects in Sharm El Sheikh aiming to enhance the use of solar energy across the governorate to support lighting projects, water extraction and more. We look forward to further cooperation with South Sinai Governorate in light of the extensive efforts exerted by the governorate to transform Sharm El Sheikh to become the first green city in Egypt.”
Schneider Electric will partake in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, through the Green Zone. The dedicated pavilion will give conference visitors and participants the chance to learn about the company's diverse and advanced technological solutions and its efforts in sustainability. The pavilion will act as a simulation of the company's Sustainability Hub, which showcases Schneider Electric solutions and services in detail.
In addition to the design of the Sustainability Hub and exhibition spaces dedicated to interactive training, Schneider Electric Sustainability Hub will include six sections built on the company's six long-term commitments which are set to deliver its sustainability goals and reflect the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These commitments are: to act for a sustainable world; to be efficient with resources; to live up to its principles of trust; to create equal opportunities; to harness the power of all generations, and to empower local communities.
It is worth mentioning that Schneider Electric launched “The Green Challenge” competition for students of King Salman International University last September, in cooperation with South Sinai Governorate, to encourage students to present innovative solutions that address the challenges the governorate may face.
Aiming to empower youth to face climate challenges with innovative solutions, the competition offered a training program to equip students with the needed social entrepreneurship skills, technologies and expertise, with the aim of transforming their ideas and innovations into emerging and sustainable projects capable of serving their local communities.
The competition is scheduled to conclude in a ceremony inside the Sustainability Hub, in parallel with the activities of the United Nations Climate Change Conference. During the ceremony, winning projects will be honored in the presence of business and sustainability leaders.
As part of Schneider Electric’s role in contributing to the transformation of Sharm El-Sheikh into the first green city in Egypt, and supporting the government’s fast-paced endeavors to stand against pollution and reduce carbon emissions, Sharm El Sheikh city will be provided with EVlink chargers for electric cars. The initiative also comes in line with the Ministry of Electricity’s announcement of implementing its plan to connect electric current to car charging stations in the city.
The cooperation between Schneider Electric and the Governorate of South Sinai is a continuation of a long-term partnership, as part of the company’s unremitting strategy to invest in the development of innovations that the company has been working on for more than 35 years in the Egyptian market, which boosted the Egyptian government’s confidence in the industry giant to cooperate in implementing its futuristic vision towards sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.
Schneider Electric and South Sinai Governorate have had long-standing cooperation over the past years which included several projects pivoting around sustainability, combating climate change and reducing CO2 emissions, on top of which is the first 5-megawatt solar power plant in Sharm El Sheikh, a project to extract water using solar energy for irrigation and drinking purposes in Wadi Silva, Ras Sedr, as well as lighting Abou Ghoraqed village project in Abu Rudeis, through the use of the latest solar energy solutions, and the installation of a system to extract water from wells with solar energy in Ramla village in the governorate.
