Resources

This green financing assessment report is accompanied by Guidelines to Accelerate the Transition Towards a Circular Economy in Africa, which seek to enhance the ongoing efforts to promote green business and a circular economy in the region. Promoting circular economy approaches requires galvanising public and private financing mechanisms to ensure access to capital for firms of all sizes. This report aims to provide an up-to-date and broad understanding of the financial mechanisms available to MSMEs in the region

Africa, a continent of immense diversity and untapped potential, stands at a crucial crossroads in its pursuit of sustainable development. It grapples with formidable environmental challenges, encapsulated in the ‘Triple Planetary Crisis’ of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. Yet, within these challenges lie boundless opportunities for transformative and ecologically friendly business ventures that could drive economic growth and foster regional environmental stewardship and social progress.

This report provides the essential guidelines for advancing a circular economy in Africa. The non-prescriptive guidelines were informed by deep dives into the opportunities for a circular economy and the challenges and critical enablers in advancing a circular economy on the continent. This report is accompanied by an assessment of green financing mechanisms for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Africa.

This tool-kit is a practical planning tool that can be used to facilitate the operationalization of existing national green economy strategies in African countries at the sub-national scale. Many African countries have formulated national level policies and strategies for green economic development, and this tool-kit is designed to complement national scale work with concrete implementation at sub-national scales

The Government’s vision is to promote an inclusive, high income and green Mauritius. In line with this vision and to support this transition to a green economy paradigm, it is important to align the national vision with sectoral policies and engage the collaborative efforts of all key stakeholders. A National Policy Dialogue was organised in the context of the Switch Africa Green project by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management, and Climate Change.

Tourism is a key driver in poverty reduction through job creation, generation of foreign earnings and provision of livelihoods to a significant proportion of the population in Uganda. Tourism has, in the recent past, doubled with the contribution to the economy estimated at 9 per cent of GDP with up to 23.5 per cent of the foreign exchange earnings. 

A SWITCH Africa Green regional meeting on the theme “Advancing Green Business and the Circular Economy in Africa” was held in Kampala, Uganda, on 24 and 25 February 2020. More than 300 participants attended the meeting, which drew senior government officials from over 25 African countries and  representatives from the European Union, regional economic communities, financial institutions, academia, United Nations agencies and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The SWITCH Africa Green regional sector meeting on green manufacturing took place on 26 and 27 September 2019 in Entebbe, Uganda. It provided a platform for dialogue among   sustainable consumption and production (SCP) experts, policy- and decision-makers, financial institutions, and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) about scaling up and replicating green business opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

The SWITCH Africa Green regional meeting on sustainable tourism was held on 29 and 30 October 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda. The meeting was a platform for discussion on the economic viability of enterprises in the sustainable tourism sector that had improved livelihoods, generated income and created jobs while preserving the environment.

The SWITCH Africa Green regional sector meeting on sustainable agriculture was held on 27 and 28 November 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting served as a platform for stakeholders from Government, the private sector and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the agriculture sector to discuss the scale-up and replication of best practices.

The SWITCH Africa Green regional sector meeting on integrated waste management was held on  11 and 12 June 2019 in Accra, Ghana. The meeting provided a platform for dialogue among sustainable consumption and production (SCP) experts, policy- and decision-makers, financial institutions and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) about scaling up and replicating green business opportunities in the integrated waste sector.

The Kampala Communiqué was developed following the Regional meeting on advancing green business and the circular economy in Africa held on 24-25 February 2020 in Kampala, Uganda.   

Manufacturing enterprises in Uganda tend not to be very resource-efficient, meaning that they are generally characterized by high production costs in terms of materials, energy and water. In addition, they can largely be categorized as high polluters. Green manufacturing improves resource productivity and profitability by reducing the resources required while diminishing the associated adverse environmental and social impact, thus enhancing competitiveness and sustainability. 

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate. CSA aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible. 

Public procurement can be a powerful tool in the promotion of socioeconomic and environmental objectives. As a significant consumer of goods, works and services, governments contribute significantly to the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This contribution through public sector procurement, accounts for more than 30 per cent of GDP in developing countries and between 10 and 15 per cent in developed countries, according to the International Trade Centre. 

The South African waste economy shows that the potential contribution of waste to gross domestic product (GDP) is significant if the materials currently being lost to landfills can be recovered and used. Emphasis on transitioning to the circular economy is therefore crucial to encourage the minimizing and managing of waste using resource efficiency in the materials value chain, including in materials flow. 

This impact sheet on ‘Sustainable production and commercialization strategies in the agri-food sector in South Africa’ provides a snapshot of results and achievements of the project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in applying and adopting SCP practices within their business operations.

This impact sheet on ‘Demand-side management of water use in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Uganda through promotion of water use efficiency techniques and practices’ provides a snapshot of results and achievements of the project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in applying and adopting SCP practices within their business operations.

This impact sheet on 'Embedding Sustainability in South Africa’s Emerging Red Meat Sector' provides a snapshot of results and achievements of this project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green Programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to apply and adopt SCP practices in their business operations.

This impact sheet on ‘Promoting sustainable product innovation and energy efficient practices among small scale industries in Uganda’ provides a snapshot of results and achievements of the project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in applying and adopting SCP practices within their business operations.

This impact sheet on ‘Up-scaling sustainable commercial production of medicinal plants by community-based conservation groups at Kakamega forest in Kenya’ provides a snapshot of results and achievements of this project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to apply and adopt sustainable consumption and production practices in their business operations.

This impact sheet on 'Recovery of waste from the cashew nut sector as a renewable energy source for MSMEs in Burkina Faso' provides a snapshot of results and achievements of the project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to apply and adopt sustainable consumption and production practices in their business operations.

This impact sheet on ‘Capacity Enhancement for Green Business Development and Eco-entrepreneurship in the Agriculture Sector’ provides a snapshot of results and achievements of the project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to apply and adopt SCP practices in their business operations.

This impact sheet on 'Project NEERE' provides a snapshot of results and achievements of the project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to apply and adopt sustainable consumption and production practices in their business operations.

This impact sheet on 'Enabling Burkinabe SMEs to Start Solar Energy Production' provides a snapshot of results and achievements of the project under the Green Business Development Component of Phase I (2014-2019) of the SWITCH Africa Green Programme. This component supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to apply and adopt sustainable consumption and production (SCP) practices in their business operations.