Speaker Details

Biography

Professor of management at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, graduated in 1962 from the faculty of engineering, Alexandria University. Was appointed as the first honorary consul of India in Alexandria ; was awarded the highest French academic award . Acted as president of different companies. Author of books related to economic development.

Abstract

Thinker in economic development

Technology, Environment and Development: A Complex Reality. From the Rio Conference in 1992 and the COP1 in 1995 till the last COP23 in 2017 , the paradigm of sustainable development has emerged as a viable alternative to the “ Take-Make-Waste “ economy of the industrial age. Renewable energy, electric cars, AI, Big Data, and 3D printing among other technologies are helping to construct innovative ecosystems in different fields which will help to achieve the 2030 SDGs Agenda. But the dilemma is also there. Inputs needed for those technologies demand the extraction and consequently the exhaustion of the minerals and rare earth resources. As a matter of example, the mines in the republic of Congo for the extraction of “ cobalt “ - indispensable for the manufacturing of phone cells , laptops etc..- are a major threat to the environment and is exploited by foreign firms at the expense of local development ! The electronic waste shipped from the North and buried in the sands of the Sub Sahara represents another environmental threat. One will ask then : green tech for whom? Moreover, the energy policies in advanced economies are rather in homogenous. The US, China,Canada and others are racing ahead to maximize the use of fossil fuels! The CO2 emissions released by the use of fossil fuels in advanced industrial countries - as given by the International Energy Agency- are far more than the World average and the two centigrade goal and , this trend continues under the powerful influence of business interests! A systemic new approach is urgently needed for a decent existence for both the citizens in developed and developing countries. It starts with a remodeling of the “ transfer mechanisms of the new technologies “ which are insufficient in the Kyoto Protocol ; the reduction of the duration of the property rights of green technologies; the agreement on a global governance for multinationals; the creation of a multilateral fund for the green technologies as proposed by the G77 ; the change of consumption practices in advanced economies and , last but not least ; the enhancement of the cooperation South-South in environmental issues. Professor Sherif Delawar