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Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh slashing carbon emissions
February 4, 2010
Reuters
The Egyptian holiday resort of Sharm el-Sheikh intends to slash its carbon emissions in the next decade to woo a growing class of eco-tourists, a senior government official who heads the $238 million project says.
Tourism is a crucial source of foreign currency and jobs in Egypt, accounting for about 11 percent of GDP.
"Tourists will pick places that are environmentally friendly and taking positive steps to reduce their carbon emissions," said Hisham Zaazou, a top official at the Tourism Ministry.
The plan is to introduce renewable energy schemes, cut water use and improve waste management to boost the environmental credentials of a resort where sprawling concrete hotel complexes have sprung up in recent decades.
Zaazou said the project would cost about 3 percent of the resort's annual revenues and the aim was for private investors to meet 48 percent of this.
"We are trying to entice the private sector to move in this direction," he said. He also added that several banks had indicated they would help with finance and some hotels were looking at putting in place energy saving schemes in their complexes.
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