Events

The UNEA 5.2 theme calls for strengthened action to protect and restore nature and the nature-based solutions to achieve Agenda 2030. The circular economy approach provides an opportunity to promote nature-based solutions, stimulate a sustainable consumption and production economy, create employment, address resource efficiencies, promote SCP practices and protect the environment. This event provides a platform for Member States and stakeholders to share and discuss how to implement Circular Economy policies, principles, practices and action plans in Africa.

The SWITCH Africa Green Regional Sector meeting on Sustainable Agriculture, was held on 27-28 November 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya. In attendance were stakeholders from the government, private sector and Micro-, Small, and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the agriculture sector to promote the scale-up & replication of best practices in the sector.

The SWITCH Africa Green Programme Survey was carried out in 2018 to establish how the micro, small and medium enterprises have greened their businesses as a result of the different project interventions namely: uptake of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) and green business practices in agriculture, manufacturing, waste management and tourism sectors. The survey collected relevant data from the Programme’s beneficiaries in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Uganda.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy, accounting for 24% of gross domestic product directly and another 27% indirectly. In addition to driving Kenya's economy, the sector is a means of livelihood for most Kenyans. Kenya Vision 2030, the country's development programme for the period 2008–2030, identifies agriculture as a key sector for achieving annual economic growth of 10%.

27 July 2017 - The Kenyan Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, brought together various stakeholders in the green economy to launch the Green Economy Strategy Implementation Plan (GESIP), at the same time holding the SWITCH Africa Green National Networking Forum in Nairobi under the theme “Accelerating the transition to an inclusive green economy in Kenya”.

The aim of the event was to:

The Kenya SWITCH Africa Green grants were officially awarded to the successful applicants at a well-attended ceremony held on 16 November 2015 at the Boma Inn hotel in Nairobi. The grants were presented by Mr. Hjordis Ogendo, Head of Social Affairs and Environment, Delegation of the European Union to Kenya, and Mr. Hezekiah Okeyo, Director, Vision 2030, Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development.

The e-learning course “Introduction to SCP in Africa” is geared towards policymakers in Africa who want to advance sustainable consumption and production in their countries. 

The Kenya National Stakeholder workshop was held on 16-17 November 2015 at the BOMA Inn Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the various parties in the project and linking the three project components, the agenda of the workshop also included the grants award ceremony as well as the validation of the country implementation report. Participants comprised of members of the NTCC, the grantees, the partners as well as some of the MSMEs in the four SAG projects in Kenya. Development partners and EU were also represented in this meeting.

In July 2015, over $3.4 million in SWITCH Africa Green grants was awarded for projects in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda. In November 2015, additional awards of over $3 million were granted for 16 projects in Burkina Faso, Mauritius, and South Africa, as well as $4.5 million for 3 multi-country projects covering all six pilot countries. Table 1 lists the grants awarded in Burkina Faso, Mauritius and South Africa and the multi-country grants, and table 2 lists the grants for Kenya, Ghana and Uganda.

The second call for proposals for SWITCH Africa Green, covering Burkina Faso, Mauritius and South Africa, was launched on 23 March 2015, through the website of the United Nations Office for Project Services after the approval by the United Nations Environment Programme and the European Union of the grant support agreement and the guidelines and templates for the concept notes and full application.