Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, emphasized that the National Circular Economy Strategy is the culmination of significant strides made by the government to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability.
The Minister inaugurated the
first dialogue sessions for this strategy, a collaborative effort between the
ACEN Foundation, the European Union's EU-Green initiative, and the National
Solid Waste Management Program. The event was attended by key stakeholders,
including Christine de Gey from GIZ, Sylvie Fontaine from the EU, Koen
Rademakers from ACEN, and Dr. Yasser Abdullah from the WMRA.
The Minister highlighted the
waste sector as a crucial starting point for the circular economy, given the
substantial progress already achieved. She stressed the need to extend the
focus to other sectors like industry, textiles, and water. The Ministry of
Environment has spearheaded initiatives to promote water reuse in industrial
processes. Additionally, the strategy should prioritize packaging and
recycling, as well as sectors such as petroleum, construction, agriculture, and
tourism.
The Minister underscored the importance of integrating biodiversity considerations into the circular economy framework. This includes addressing pollution and plastic waste, especially in light of the impending global plastic treaty.