After receiving the international EDGE Advance accreditation for advanced green buildings, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is the first green museum in Africa and the Middle East. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank entity, granted the museum accreditation.
The General Manager of the GEM project, Atef Moftah, clarified that the initiative is a component of the IFC’s effort to promote green buildings in Egypt. The National Centre for Housing and Building Research in Egypt was involved in its preparation. He added that the museum had an extensive evaluation of its water and carbon emissions from the building materials and energy efficiency, including an on-site inspection.
Moftah clarified that achieving this certification requires meeting 20 percent of the minimum green standards. However, he emphasized that the GEM has achieved outstanding performance, attaining a 62 percent energy-saving rate, a 34 percent water consumption reduction rate, and a 59 percent carbon emission reduction rate for building materials.
The Egypt Vision 2030 clean energy goals align with the energy conservation techniques the museum demonstrated. This includes installing solar panels, lighting, and natural ventilation systems that provide visitors with cooler summer and moderate temperatures in winter.
Under the auspices of the Egypt-World Bank 2023–2027 Comprehensive Partnership Framework, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat emphasized the ongoing collaboration with the IFC to bolster Egypt’s green transformation agenda.
This will guarantee the attainment of comprehensive and sustainable development in Egypt through three tenets of Economic Diplomacy: organizing multi-stakeholder platform meetings to strengthen ties with bilateral and multilateral development partners, aligning official development assistance (ODA) with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and adhering to the Global Partnerships Narrative, which places People at the Core, Projects in Action, and Purpose as the Motive.
The GEM has obtained eight ISO certificates in energy, health, occupational safety, environment, and quality. It also received the Green Building Award for the best project in green construction during the “Environment and Development: The Road to COP27 Climate Change Conference” forum organized by the Arab Water Council in Cairo, with the participation of 12 Arab and foreign countries.
