Powering MENA’s green transition: Hivos to host 2nd Green Growth Summit
June 12, 2025
Building on the first Green Growth Summit’s success, Hivos is hosting the region’s most pioneering changemakers for the second consecutive year in Cairo on June 16. The second edition of the summit will be a high-level, invitation-only event dedicated to unlocking solutions and innovative finance for a just and inclusive green transition in Egypt and the wider MENA region. GGS 2025 aims to accelerate the green transition not only by sharing insights, but by translating them into action.
Why now?
With climate risks intensifying and youth unemployment remaining high, the MENA region is at a crossroads, and the need for climate-smart economic solutions has never been greater. At the same time, new opportunities are emerging: startups and SMEs in Egypt are offering cutting-edge green products and services, blended finance instruments are gaining traction, and green sector job creation is taking off across agriculture, waste management, and clean energy.
This momentum underlines a crucial reality: green is no longer just an option; it is an economic necessity. GGS 2025 is designed to spotlight this shift and facilitate the bold business, policy, and financial innovations needed to turn potential into progress.
Unlocking solutions and innovative finance
This year’s summit is structured around four thematic tracks that all share the same priorities of youth inclusion, gender equity, and impact measurement:
- Green investments management: Exploring ESG integration, risk-return models, and opening green investment pipelines for Egypt’s growing number of SMEs and scaleups.
- Leveraging blended finance: Designing and deploying innovative instruments such as green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds to de-risk green innovation.
- Green value chains and future-proof employment: Strengthening the role of industry clusters and early-stage financing to expand sustainable production and create decent green jobs.
- Sector spotlights – AgriTech, health care, and AI: Deep-diving into high-impact sectors where digital and green innovations intersect to shape Egypt’s sustainable future.
With everything from technical workshops and policy dialogues to deal rooms and task force launches, GGS 2025 will see concrete outcomes, including MoUs, white papers, and real investment opportunities.Who will be there?
GGS 2025 is inviting a curated group of stakeholders at the forefront of Egypt’s green economy:
- Startups, scaleups, and SMEs developing breakthrough green innovations
- Accelerators and incubators supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs
- Local and international investors, DFIs, and venture capital funds
- Donors and development partners focused on job creation and upskilling
- Policymakers and experts shaping Egypt’s green industrial strategy and export readiness
Looking back at GGS 2024 in Egypt
The 2024 Cairo edition sparked several key developments. A multi-stakeholder task force was launched in partnership with UNDP Egypt aimed at coordinating donors, development finance institutions (DFIs), and development partners working on the green economy and transition in the country. Pathfinder, Engazaat, and Nestlé signed a MoU to foster more sustainable supply chains.
In parallel, USAID Business Egypt and LYNX Strategic Business Advisors drafted a white paper on creating an enabling environment for green SMEs in Egypt. Four live investment deal rooms were also held, in which some 35 investors and funding institutions participated.
The summit’s over 250 attendees included representatives from Egypt’s Ministry of Planning, Ministry of International Cooperation, and the Financial Regulatory Authority. Key development actors such as UNDP, FMO, and FCDO joined leading venture capital firms like Algebra Ventures and DisrupTech, along with innovation hubs including Flat6Labs, AUC Venture Lab, and Athar.
Who is behind the Green Growth Summit?
The Green Growth Summit in Egypt is convened by Hivos and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands through the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE). The summit is organized in partnership with Stichting SPARK, as part of the Green Forward programme funded by the European Union, and Finance in Motion, advisor to the GGF – Green for Growth Fund, and implemented by New Silk Roads .
