Sherif El Sherbini, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, inaugurated Housing and Building National Research Center’s international conference on behalf of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Invest-Gate reports.

The conference, entitled “The Future Outlook and Challenges of Urban Development: Smart and Sustainable Green Construction Between the Present and the Future,” marked the 70th anniversary of the center’s establishment.

It was attended by a diverse group of experts and held in cooperation with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to discuss various issues related to achieving sustainable development goals, particularly in green and sustainable construction.

El Sherbini stated that, according to global estimates, buildings are one of the main sectors of urban development responsible for over 34% of energy consumption and, consequently, increased carbon emissions. Therefore, international efforts are focused on creating sustainable, resilient communities through the implementation of various international initiatives related to smart green construction.

The Minister emphasized that Egypt has prioritized urban development within its comprehensive vision, “Egypt Vision 2030.” One of the main objectives of this vision is to improve the quality of life for Egyptian citizens and enhance their standard of living, in line with the goals of the new urban agenda and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 11, which calls for inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements.

El Sherbini noted that the Egyptian state has successfully implemented more than 1.5 million housing units for low- and middle-income individuals since 2014 to meet the growing demand for housing. He added that it is time to intensify efforts to stimulate Egypt’s real estate system towards green construction for a sustainable urban environment.

He also mentioned that the Ministry of Housing has targeted the implementation of several green building projects within its work plan for the period leading up to 2030. Several partnership projects with the private sector are already underway to achieve these goals, alongside a current plan to introduce various incentives to encourage the real estate sector to adopt green building practices.