Localizing climate action in Egypt: A novel model for development finance

The National Initiative for Smart Green Projects (NISGP), launched by the Egyptian government in 2022, focuses on mobilizing private sector finance for localized climate projects across 27 governorates. The initiative uses a structured assessment process based on six criteria—green component, smart component, economic feasibility, replicability, sustainable impact, and inclusion—to identify investable projects. To date, it has received 17,000 applications, funding diverse solutions such as AI-powered pest control in Dakahlia, geothermal energy for poultry farms in Ismailia, and low-cost water treatment in the New Valley governorate. The NISGP operates through a multi-stakeholder hub involving the UN, multilateral development banks, and the private sector to turn project pipelines into investable opportunities.

• The National Initiative for Smart Green Projects (NISGP), established in 2022, creates a pipeline of investable local climate projects across Egypt's 27 governorates, targeting six categories: large-scale, medium-scale, small-scale, start-ups, non-profit initiatives, and women-led projects.
• The NISGP selection process has processed 17,000 applications, using an equal representation system to promote the top three projects per governorate in each category to a national competition based on six criteria: green component, smart component, economic feasibility, replicability, sustainable impact, and inclusion.
• The initiative has funded specific localized technological solutions, including a nature-based water treatment method in the New Valley governorate that costs one fifth of the previous method, an AI-powered pest control system in Dakahlia, and the use of geothermal energy in Ismailia's poultry farms.
• The NISGP utilizes a multi-stakeholder hub comprising the UN system, multilateral development banks, the Egyptian government, and the private sector to transform project pipelines into investable opportunities and provide technical assistance.

APA

Al-Mashat, R. (2025). Localizing climate action in Egypt: A novel model for development finance. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/localizing-climate-action-egypt-model-development-finance/

Chicago

Al-Mashat, Rania. Localizing climate action in Egypt: A novel model for development finance. World Economic Forum, 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/localizing-climate-action-egypt-model-development-finance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Al-Mashat |first1=Rania |title=Localizing climate action in Egypt: A novel model for development finance |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=20 January 2025 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/localizing-climate-action-egypt-model-development-finance/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{almashat2025localizing, author = {Al-Mashat, Rania}, title = {{Localizing climate action in Egypt: A novel model for development finance}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/localizing-climate-action-egypt-model-development-finance/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }