COP27: Morocco-Made eco-friendly solar lamps light up Egypt’s Giza Pyramids

Morocco-made environment friendly solar lamps were installed at the Pyramids of Giza, at the initiative of Moroccan brand ‘Shems for Lighting’ and ‘Liter of Light’ as part of the activities of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP27) held in Sharm el-Sheikh (November 6-18).

These lamps, made by several Moroccan UNESCO-recognized women’s cooperatives in Safi, as well as by volunteers and young students, were installed in an artistic and unique way. They will later on be distributed for the benefit of the population living with little or no electricity in the area.

After the launch in Safi, the handmade solar lamps were presented at “Art of Egypt: Forever is Now II”, the second edition of the prestigious art exhibition at the Pyramids of Giza held October 27 through November 30.

These lamps, which were unveiled by the brands “Liter of Light” and “Shems for Lighting” during the activities of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Week, are the first Moroccan invention of solar lamps presented at the ongoing COP27.

According to “Shems for Lighting”, the lamps are the result of the “Light up Africa” project which provides lighting solutions to African families without access to electricity.

The solution is provided in the form of a solar lamp designed specifically for Africa, using non-polluting and environmentally friendly resources. The project also trains young people in the use of renewable energy and in the assembly of solar lamps.

The installation of these solar lamps is the first step of several similar projects in a partnership that will be unveiled on the sidelines of the COP27.

“We are honored to share our community’s gift of solar lights with the different communities in our region,” said Youssef Chakroun, founder of “Shems for Lighting.”

“This partnership and participatory engagement allow everyone to realize that we are all capable of creating positive change at different scales and that local solutions can have a strong social and economic impact for everyone involved. At Shems for Lighting, we believe in the power of light in community development,” he added, according to a company statement.

“As our region prepares to host the next global climate change conferences in 2022 and 2023, we want to lend our voice to the dialogue on climate change solutions,” said Illac Diaz, founder of Liter of Light.

He noted that many people live in communities that are on the front lines of climate change, but don’t have access to technology or platforms to share their stories and messages with world leaders who can make a measurable difference in the fight for climate action.

Shems for Lighting is a Moroccan social enterprise that produces and sells 100% eco-friendly solar lamps that can be used as decorative objects and save on electricity bills. All products merge solar energy and Moroccan handicrafts, thus promoting Moroccan artisans and improving their livelihoods.

The company has launched the Shems Africa project to provide people without electricity with solar lamps that can replace traditional lamps.