Hivos will host the Green Growth Summit
March 18, 2024
Hivos is excited to announce the Green Growth Summit, a regional event organized in Tunis and Cairo that will build partnerships for climate change mitigation and open green economic pathways in North Africa.
The Summit, organized by Hivos and partners from the development and private sectors, will take place on April 30 (Tunis, Tunisia) and May 14 (Cairo, Egypt). It will bring together business support organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises, investors, and policymakers to promote green ecosystems and strategies and work on a Just Transition.
“At a time when underemployment, unemployment, and extreme vulnerability to climate change are gaining a stranglehold on North Africa, we cannot afford to ignore the huge unexploited potential of green enterprises.”
Noha El Sebaie Hivos’ Manager for Green Employability and Entrepreneurship Programs
The Summit will have at least 5 main tracks:
- Green Exports, highlighting the benefits of going green
- De-risking Green Investment, exploring partnership models and opportunities
- Green Jobs, focusing on training and capacity building
- Green Clusters, promoting green value chains and solutions
- Impact Investing, discussing donor strategies and investor opportunities for green and impact investing.
In preparation for the Green Growth Summit, Hivos hosted several events in Egypt and Tunisia to facilitate discussions on sustainable growth, the green economy, and investment initiatives.
Hivos’ round table for donors
At a dynamic round table hosted by Hivos in Egypt on February 25, representatives from the Dutch, British and Swiss Embassies in Cairo, CARE Egypt, CFYE, GIZ, ILO, UNDP, USAID and Business Egypt met to discuss the future of sustainable growth locally and regionally.
Participants exchanged insights and highlighted the importance of collective action in driving sustainable change. They also identified the main factors hindering both the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and investor interest in green investment opportunities.
The participants also looked at challenges, scalability, and other essential factors involved in making the green sector successful in Egypt, as well as the possibility of co-creating a taskforce or working group for donors supporting green initiatives in Egypt.
To continue these fruitful conversations around green entrepreneurship programs in Egypt, a second round table is schedule for March 31.
“Investing in Green Economy” debate in Tunis
Reflecting on the Green Growth Summit preparations, the Tunisian Association of Capital Investors and New Silk Roads, supported by Hivos, organized a debate in the Bourse de Tunis to address the challenges of mobilizing financing and mechanisms suited to green economy projects in Tunisia. Representatives from ATIC (Association Tunisienne des Investisseurs en Capital, co-organizers of the event), CDC (Caisse des Dépots et des Consignations), CRAF (Climate Resilient Africa Fund), and startups like Wattnow, Next Protein, and others participated in the debate.
They stressed the importance of financial reforms and policy regulations for the green sector, emphasizing the necessity of setting up blended finance tools and vehicles to invest in green businesses and initiatives.
Green Growth Summit
Anticipation builds for the flagship events in April and May. The Green Growth Summit promises to jump start practical strategies and forge partnerships aimed at fostering a resilient and thriving green economy across the region.
As discussions evolve and initiatives take shape, the momentum towards green growth and sustainability is palpable. With collaborative efforts and innovative solutions, regional stakeholders are paving the way for a more environmentally conscious and prosperous future.
