CAIRO: Egypt’s Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad discussed with South Sinai Gov. Khaled Fouda preparations for transforming Sharm El-Sheikh into a green city to coincide with it hosting COP27 at the end of this year. The selection of Egypt to host the next session of the climate conference was announced during the closing session of COP26 in Glasgow in November last year. Fouad said South Sinai governorate is an active partner in organizing COP27, preparations for which she reviewed during the meeting. Preparations include a rating system to evaluate buildings’ environmental impact and performance, a cycling path, and the distribution of non-plastic bags that will precede a total ban on plastic bags in Sharm El-Sheikh. Fouda stressed South Sinai’s readiness to harness all efforts to contribute to COP27, and said the governorate has started working on planting 2,000 palm trees in the city. Fouad and Fouda also discussed the Environment Ministry’s support for the establishment of a Sustainability Park in Sharm El-Sheikh.