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Aya Al-sharqawy

Name:

Aya Al-sharqawy

Job title:

Environmental researcher, entrepreneur and University of Leeds alumna

Area of work: 

I am the CEO and co-founder of Recyclizer (a waste management startup).

Read more about Aya’s work in this Alumni news article.

What will you be doing at COP27?

I will be a speaker in the Youth and Future Generations Day (Egyptian success story), and I am also in the MOYS team of the COP27 Youth Taskforce in which I am responsible for setting strategy for the thematic days, social media campaigns, contacting and suggesting speakers, and writing concept notes and climate change policy reports in preparation for COP27.  

I will attend from 6 to 12 November as one of the Ministry of Youth and Sports COP27 Youth Taskforce team, and also representing the University of Leeds. I will be mainly responsible for the Youth and Future Generations Thematic Day. 

What are the big issues that COP27 needs to address? What are your hopes for the negotiations?

I believe the COP27 this year being in Egypt as an African and Arab country is an opportunity for our voices to be heard, especially youth and adolescents, and this is what the team and I are working to be implemented in COP27. We aim for youth to be strongly and effectively engaged in climate action and the world climate change policy making process. Negotiations are hopefully focusing on loss and damage, and more opportunities for green funding. The children also must be participating in this great opportunity, as they are on the frontline facing climate change impacts. Mitigation and adaptation policies need to be more developed, namely to tackle climate change impacts in the most vulnerable communities. 

What’s your message for world leaders at COP27?

We always hear you talk about youth engagement in the climate change decision making process but with no effective action. This year is your opportunity to show the world that it will be a powerful and meaningful youth engagement in climate action.

Any tips for readers about climate action?

Please participate in sharing climate awareness within your communities, provide more opportunities for women to work in the climate change field to see gender climate equality, and know that every small individual action you take to conserve our planet has a great impact not just in your place but in the whole world as well.