On the sidelines of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), Microsoft Egypt has announced two key sustainability management partnerships with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Eng. Raafat Hendy, information infrastructure director at MCIT, and Eng. Mirna Arif, General Manager of Microsoft Egypt to establish a Government Centre of Excellence for Emissions Accounting and Reporting digitally (GEAR COE). GEAR COE will enable the Egyptian authorities to digitally record, measure and report on carbon emissions, which will contribute to achieving institutional sustainability.
Specialised training programmes will also be provided for software developers and engineers in the fields of sustainable cloud computing and related topics, in addition to other training packages for decision makers, business owners and government leaders on topics related to technology-based sustainability solutions.
In partnership with MCIT and other third parties, Microsoft will identify start-ups developing sustainability solutions to be enrolled in the Microsoft Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact programme.
Dr. Amr Talat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, stressed on the Egyptian government’s keenness to build effective partnerships to achieve the objectives of the National Climate Change Strategy 2050. He pointed out that the cooperation with Microsoft comes in light of the efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to cooperate with major international companies to adapt technology to serve environmental issues. The cooperation aims to build the capabilities of Egyptian cadres and prepare them to be able to manage the country’s sustainability system using the latest green technologies.
Dr. Amr Talaat also met with Mr. Ralph Haupter, Microsoft EMEA president. and Mr. Samer Abu Latif, President of Microsoft in the Middle East and Africa to announce the use of artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency of the agricultural sector.
Both parties will cooperate in developing innovative agricultural techniques to help farmers improve the use of water in irrigating agricultural crops and access information that helps them predict climate changes and take preventive measures to protect their crops.
This partnership will be implemented in cooperation with other partners in Egypt and Africa to ensure maximum benefit for farmers and the promotion of sustainable practices across the continent in a way that supports the interests of all stakeholders.
The meeting was attended by Eng. Raafat Hendy, the information infrastructure director at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Amr Mahfouz, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Eng. Mohamed Nasr El-Din, Assistant Minister for International Information Infrastructure, and Dr. Noha Adly, Advisor to the Minister for Research and Development, Eng. Wael El-Kabbani, General Manager of Microsoft Africa Regional Cluster, and Eng. Mirna Arif, General Manager of Microsoft Egypt.
