Cairo, Danone Egypt announces its new collaboration with Shagarha initiative for sustainable development, coinciding with the celebration of World Environment Day on 5 June each year. This partnership reflects the company's commitment to spreading environmental awareness and contributing to the deepening culture of environmental concern and pollution reduction.

The collaboration further strengthens Danone Egypt's positive role in raising environmental awareness, which was initially initiated during the COP27 activities held in Sharm El-Sheikh last year. In alignment with addressing critical issues such as air quality, global warming, poverty, and hunger, Danone Egypt employees joined forces with Shagarha initiative to successfully plant 100 diverse fruit trees within the Egyco residences located in the third settlement of New Cairo. This impactful initiative has been officially registered on the World Environment Day website under the title "Trees and Plastic."

Danone Egypt, in partnership with Shagarha initiative, aims to plant fruit trees in public spaces and streets where tree coverage is inadequate. The primary objective of this initiative is to enhance the environment and air quality. Trees serve as the lungs of the earth, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. This initiative holds immense significance, as a single tree is estimated to absorb between 10-20 kg of carbon annually, thereby contributing to carbon reduction and promoting environmental sustainability.

"Collaborating with Danone Egypt on World Environment Day exemplifies our shared commitment to creating environmental awareness and taking collective action to combat climate change," stated Omar Eldeeb, Founder of Shagarha for Sustainable Development. "Shagarha initiative, launched in 2016, has gained significant traction among the public over the past 7 years. It focuses on cultivating a culture of planting fruit trees in streets, schools, and public areas, while also encouraging the cultivation of vegetables and aromatic plants on balconies and rooftops. To date, Shagarha has successfully planted over 200,000 fruit trees, including lemons, olives, pomegranates, guavas, and moringa, making these fruits more accessible to the community and promoting their consumption."

Ahmed Talaat, General Secretary Director at Danone Egypt & Northeast Africa, expressed his thoughts on this fruitful collaboration, saying, "Our partnership with Shagarha initiative

stands as a significant contribution by Danone Egypt towards environmental preservation. It underscores our role in creating community awareness regarding the crucial importance of afforestation. This aligns with Danone Egypt's commitment to positively serve the community across various aspects, including the environmental, economic, urban, health, social, cultural, and recreational domains. Furthermore, Danone Egypt actively promotes awareness about harmful behaviors that can detrimentally impact the environment and actively participates in campaigns to plant trees in public roads and streets, fostering a sense of responsibility towards the environment."