“National Sustainable Development Week” Charts a Roadmap to Reduce Plastic Pollution

The Egyptian Forum Mobilizes Officials, Parliamentarians, Donors and Experts Around One Common Goal
Dr. Emad Adly: The Forum is a National Platform for Mobilization and Advocacy – Media and Civil Society Are the People’s Frontline for Action

At a critical juncture in Egypt’s development journey—amid mounting environmental challenges and the growing impacts of plastic pollution on human health, ecosystems and the economy, the 11th edition of the National Sustainable Development Week reaffirmed that tackling this threat is no longer optional. It is a national imperative that requires the collective efforts of government, civil society, experts and citizens alike.
Held under the generous patronage of H.E. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, the event brought together a distinguished group of decision-makers, parliamentarians, development partners and researchers at the Environmental Cultural and Educational Center “Beit El-Cairo” on 18 June 2025 to address a shared concern impacting every household: reducing plastic pollution.

Organized with the active leadership of the Egyptian Sustainable Development Forum (ESDF), the week’s activities successfully convened representatives from government bodies, parliament, financing institutions, economic and environmental experts and civil society organizations for a critical discussion on a growing global threat: plastic pollution.
Dr. Emad Adly, Chairperson of the ESDF Board of Trustees, emphasized during the opening session that since its launch in 2012, three years before the UN General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Forum has served as a national platform for mobilizing stakeholders, advancing environmental action, and supporting progress on multiple SDG pathways aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030.

The opening session featured remarks from Dr. Yasser Abdallah, CEO of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority and Eng. Samah Saleh, Head of the Sustainable Development and Gender Integration Unit at the Ministry of Environment. Both speakers highlighted the ministry’s efforts to combat plastic pollution and stressed the alignment of Egypt’s national efforts with global developments, particularly the international negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty, expected to reach key decisions by August 2025.

The forum also included a high-level discussion session featuring:

• Dr. Yasser Abdallah, who outlined recent updates in national efforts and their alignment with a just transition framework in the context of the Plastics Treaty.
• Dr. Yomna El-Hamaki, Professor of Economics and member of the ESDF Board of Trustees, who addressed the importance of enabling conditions for circular and green economies and their impact on achieving sustainable development dimensions.
• Dr. Kamel Shatta, Head of Development Finance at Commercial International Bank (CIB), who reviewed policies and opportunities supporting green transition, particularly in plastic manufacturing and production and how these contribute to the national strategy for reducing single-use plastics.
• Eng. Tarek Farouk, Director of the Green Economy and Sustainability Unit at the Industrial Modernization Center, discussed efforts to localize technologies that support sustainable transformation, highlighting the role of innovation and technology in accelerating progress.
• Eng. Adel El-Shafei, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Environment, provided updates on the international context of the Plastics Treaty, detailing its key negotiation pillars and pending issues expected to be finalized in August.
• Dr. Samira El-Gazzar, Member of Parliament, elaborated on regulatory and legislative frameworks related to environment and sustainable development, presenting oversight tools and incentive proposals to engage the private sector, especially industry, in achieving sustainability objectives.

The session also featured the presentation of several initiatives aimed at reducing plastic pollution. Environmental journalist Mahmoud El-Eisawy, Editor-in-Chief of Jesour 2030, spotlighted major media efforts to raise awareness of the issue at local, national and international levels.
The gathering showcased youth-led initiatives carried out by the ESDF volunteer team, presented by Maryam Tamer, a student at October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA).
The event concluded with a presentation of selected projects from the third phase of the Small-Scale Initiatives Programme for Civil Society Organizations in North Africa (PPI-OSCAN 3), featuring:

• The Sinai Women’s Rights Association (North Sinai)
• The Benban Solar Energy Investors Association (Aswan)
• The Youth Foundation for Development and Creativity (Cairo)

These examples demonstrate the power of grassroots action and multi-stakeholder collaboration in advancing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.