Sharm El Sheikh is now among a 2.5k-strong group of regional and local governments in the ICLEI Global Network for Sustainable Cities, marking the coastal city as the first in Egypt to make it onto the list and one of only a handful of Arab cities, the global network said in a statement earlier this month. The announcement was also accompanied by the launch of the Green Sharm sustainability platform, an interactive knowledge hub showcasing the city’s environmental achievements, community-driven initiatives, and green tourism offerings, according to a separate statement from the United Nations Development Programme.

ICLEI? The ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability — FKA the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives — is a global alliance of cities and regions committed to sustainable urban development. The network aims to influence sustainability policy and drive local action across key areas. Once on board, members gain access to ICLEI’s programs and must self-report progress on their sustainability initiatives. ICLEI does not impose specific policies on cities or enforce mandates, and each city sets its own goals and plans in line with local needs.

Sharm El Sheikh’s inclusion in the network has a lot more behind it than just hosting COP27 in 2022, such as what happened before and since. “Many may associate this achievement with COP27, but I see its origins going back to the Biodiversity COP14 in 2018, also hosted in Sharm El Sheikh,” said Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad. From 2018 until now, the city has made important progress on the sustainability front, especially since the Environment Ministry launched the Green Sharm initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme and Global Environment Facility in 2022.

The city’s efforts were about more than just boosting the use of renewable energy and also included a focus on sustainable transport, waste management, water conservation, the protection of biodiversity, and creating a system that works in support of, and not against, local communities.

Due to its efforts, nearly a fifth of the city’s energy now comes from renewable sources, with 51 MW of green energy covering 18% of the city’s power needs at an investment cost of EGP 800 mn. The move toward solar also included a push to integrate solar panels into existing and under-construction buildings in the city, including the conference center, airport, museum, an international hospital, and ten hotels. Hotels were also given the incentive to invest in solar power by being able to get eco-certified under the Green Sharm initiative. Demand for fossil fuels was also reduced with the installation of 800 solar street lights alongside solar-powered water heaters.

Sharm El Sheikh also overhauled its transport infrastructure to be greener and more people-centered. Authorities built 145 km of dedicated cycling lanes crisscrossing the city, encouraging biking rather than driving. A public bike-sharing system was introduced — the first of its kind in Egyptian cities. The city also invested in electric mobility by rolling out Egypt’s first electric bus fleet for public transit.

Another area of focus was waste management, which included community programs to recycle and reuse waste, such as a project to collect used cooking oil from hotels and homes to convert it into biodiesel fuel. The city upgraded to more efficient waste collection, invested in recycling facilities, and ran public awareness campaigns to minimize litter — all of which are particularly critical in a coastal environment.

The city lies in a water-scarce region, so sustainable water management was vital. The city built new desalination plants and wastewater treatment upgrades, particularly in the Nabq Protected Area, to ensure a secure water supply without depleting natural aquifers. It also stepped up biodiversity protection, notably establishing programs to monitor and protect coral reefs and marine life along the Red Sea coast.

A war on plastic was declared in 2022, when the city banned single-use plastic bags and utensils in the city’s hotels and restaurants — a ban that now covers 50 hotels and is expanding. The policy reduces plastic pollution that can harm marine life, especially important given the importance of dive tourism. The city is also working on phasing out single-use plastics in all shops.

Sharm may be the first, but it likely won’t be the last Egyptian city in ICLEI’s network. The Environment Ministry has stated plans to add more Egyptian cities to ICLEI’s global sustainable cities network. In remarks to the press after Sharm’s designation, Fouad said her team is already working on preparing other cities for membership.

A leading contender is Hurghada. Egypt and Unido launched the Green Hurghada project, explicitly aiming to replicate Sharm’s success in a second city. The initiative will focus on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, protecting coastal biodiversity, and promoting climate-smart tourism practices.

Larger metropolitan cities are also moving toward sustainability agendas, including Cairo, which has just launched a Green City Action Plan — with support from the EBRD. The plan aims to boost clean transportation and resilience in the capital. Cairo is now the third Egyptian city to adopt such an action plan under EBRD’s Green Cities program, following Alexandria and Sixth of October City.

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