The Egyptian Sustainable Development Forum emerged as a positive initiative aimed at integrating and solidifying sustainability concepts across all aspects of life in Egypt. It simultaneously represents a national response to the outcomes of the Earth Summits, most recently the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in June 2012 (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the theme “The Future We Want.”

Hence, the forum was formed by a distinguished group of Egyptian scholars from various developmental fields in July 2012, immediately following the Rio conference. It was officially recognized as a non-profit civil institution under the Ministry of Social Solidarity.

Since its commencement, the forum has achieved numerous milestones, including the publication of reports and working papers on the state of sustainable development in Egypt. It has also launched several significant initiatives, primarily focused on promoting sustainable practices at various levels. Among these is the “National Sustainable Development Week,” which has been organized annually since 2015 in conjunction with World Environment Day. Additionally, the forum has made significant strides in forging strong partnerships with both the public and private sectors, scientific institutions, research centers, and international development partners. It has also established vital communication channels with a wide range of stakeholders at the national, regional, and international levels, all committed to addressing sustainable development issues.

The forum is advancing rapidly through its diverse working groups, striving to align institutionally with the country’s developmental policies. It places a strong emphasis on studying major national projects, such as the Egypt Urban Strategic Plan 2052, the New Suez Canal Project, the One and a Half Million Feddan Project, and the New Administrative Capital Project.

The forum actively presents the perspectives of its scholars and experts on these national projects, preparing pre-implementation reports that assess their potential positive and negative impacts on sustainable development. This process is carried out in full coordination with all relevant entities and sectors.