English
Professor Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of Alexandria University, witnessed the activities of the “Life for Medeca” conference in its third edition, which aims to green transformation of ports and maritime activities in accordance with international standards, in order to preserve environmental safety of the Mediterranean region. The event took place at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in the presence of Ms. Margot Marcaroli, representative of the French Ministry of Overseas, Rear Admiral Reda Ahmed Ismail, Head of the Maritime Transport Sector at the Ministry of Transport, Ms. Ann Sco, Deputy Ambassador of the European Union, and Rear Admiral Hossam El-Din Qutb, Head of Alexandria Shipyard (Egyptian Arsenal Company), Dr. Suzanne Kholeif, Director of Sustainable Development for Egypt and Africa at the Sustainable Development Authority for the Mediterranean in Italy, and a group of researchers from several Arab and foreign countries.
In his speech, Dr. Konsowa welcomed the guests of Egypt to the city of Alexandria, stressing the importance of the conference to share ideas with all researchers around the world in order to reduce the rate of carbon emissions and their negative impact on the environment, develop innovative solutions to environmental problems, and take into account environmental requirements and standards in all existing and new projects in the city of Alexandria, in light of the paramount importance that the Egyptian state attaches to transitioning to a green economy to improve environmental, health and living conditions. Dr. Konsowa added that Alexandria University established the Alexandria University Centre for the Greener Blue Economy to provide policies that support development and optimal exploitation of available resources while reducing negative impacts on the environment. He explained that the university is adopting a strategy to transform the blue economy to be greener in cooperation with academic bodies, experts, and industrialists.
Dr. Konsowa highlighted the contributions of Alexandria University to the Cop27 Climate Conference and its pioneering role in confronting the impacts of climate change and supervising rainwater management projects in Alexandria, hoping that the upcoming Cop28 Climate Conference, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates, will reach real funding for many environmental projects and green transformation to reach the desired goal of zero emissions. Dr. Konsowa thanked Dr. Suzanne Kholeif, President of the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, for organizing the conference.
While Ms. Margot Marcaroli stressed that the goal of the conference is to develop urgent solutions to reduce carbon emissions and climate changes, noting that science is one of the decisive factors in addressing the issue of climate change by encouraging people to change their attitudes and behaviour.
While Rear Admiral Reda Ahmed Ismail spoke about the role of the Ministry of Transport in transitioning to a green economy, within the framework of the Egyptian state’s adoption of the issue of climate change as one of its most important priorities and an integral part of the plan it developed to achieve the goals of sustainable development and its Vision 2030.
Rear Admiral Hossam El-Din Qutb pointed to the role of the Egyptian Arsenal Company in reducing carbon emissions and preserving the environment, stressing that the Egyptian Arsenal Company is currently working on building new tugs with the least heat emissions and exhaust treatment, in addition to studying the construction of the first marine tug operating on dual fuel, and studying the construction of the first marine engine that runs on hydrogen instead of fuel, as well as establishing the first Egyptian design office to design ships powered by hydrogen and other green energies, and conducting a feasibility study to use solar cells to supply the company with electrical energy, all in order to pave the way for an environmentally conscious maritime era.
