Sarah El Battouty

Sarah El Battouty is a global award winning architect with 18 years experience in the field of Green and Environmental Buildings and Sustainable Development. Sarah is the chairwoman and founder of one of Egypt’s most unique Environmental Design, training and strategy companies, ECOnsult, which has achieved the highest number of energy saving certified projects in Egypt by an Egyptian consultant. Her design work spans from Egypt to Italy and China focusing on partnering with the private sector and government on implementing green projects with social impact. She is also an entrepreneur that founded another unique start-up in Egypt that specializes in transforming scrap waste into luxury high-end sustainable furniture, MuBun Sustainable Furniture, which is currently exporting. In 2014 Sarah was appointed as a senior Advisor to the Egyptian President focusing on sustainable community development. Sarah received her BA in Architecture from the University of Cambridge, UK and has received a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development & Project Management from SOAS, UK and a Professional Degree in Climate Policy and Environment.

Sarah has worked on several projects with the presidency that have been adopted by the government including introducing energy and water saving awareness programs into the media and education system as well the creation of a youth leadership program to empower youths to participate in the political process. Her focus has been Egypt’s environmental policy, which culminated in the successful ratification of Egypt signing the Paris Climate Agreement and embarking on a nationwide program for energy saving and water scarcity awareness. Sarah represents Egypt as an official in a variety of lectures and summits focusing on climate, housing and national security. She is now working to make environmental awareness and resource and natural heritage preservation entire the Egyptian curriculum with the Ministry of Education. Her focus is to raise awareness on resource management and environmental economics to create sustainable communities for Egypt’s growing population as well as regional climate challenges linking them to education and magnifying the interlinkages. Sarah has also been recognized as a national expert and leader in 2018 for her service to this field by the government, for training the intelligence and military as well as assisting in training programs for government on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sarah is one of the only woman to have worked in remote regions on construction sites while also being one of a handful of women founders of a technology company in Egypt. She works with local labour to exchange knowledge and promote inclusiveness in every project. In 2015 her company decided to have equal pay for both men and women as well as having 50% of her company run by women and a 100% women-led Board. Sarah is a strong believer of leadership for women for better societies, however she always promotes letting the work speak for itself.

Sustainable Development Goals 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 13 (Climate Action)