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Google commits to offer innovative sustainable solutions across MENA region

This announcement is the latest in Google’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and builds on the company’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2030.

by ITP Staff
by ITP Staff

Google has announced a series of commitments towards greater sustainability efforts in the Middle East and North Africa region, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).

The commitments announced cover Google products, funding programs and local partnerships:

Helping people make more sustainable choices through Google products:

  • Launch of eco-friendly routing on Google Maps, a feature on Maps that helps users choose the most fuel-efficient route. Users can specify their vehicle’s engine type — petrol or gas, diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle (EV) — to get the best route and most accurate fuel or energy efficiency estimates. Eco-friendly routing is expected to launch in Egypt in the coming weeks and in more countries across MENA next year.
  • Feature on Google Search in MENA that allows travelers the ability to look for eco-certified hotels and flights with lower carbon emissions in countries across the Middle East & North Africa.
  • Launch of “Calling in our Corals”, an online interactive experiment on Google Arts & Culture to help researchers and scientists monitor the state of coral reefs including reefs in Sharm El Sheikh, helping to track illegal mining, noise pollution and measure success at restoration sites. Egypt is the first Arab country to participate in this initiative. An interactive installation at COP27 will offer visitors the chance to participate in the research and learn about the ecological impact of damaged coral reefs around the world. The crisis facing the world’s coral reefs is immeasurable and of importance to researchers around the world working on the preservation of our reefs.
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Supporting sustainable initiatives in MENA

  • $one million USD Google.org grant to Mercy Corps to mentor 5,000 entrepreneurs in the Middle East & North Africa out of which 1500 of them will focus their efforts on sustainability solutions.
  • Sponsoring the “Clima Tech Run 2022” competition organised by Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation to support global startups working in the field of climate change. Google will take part in the selection of the cohort, fund one of the winners and provide the ten selected startups with training to accelerate their business growth.