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SwitchMed Programme

About the project

SCP-NAPs

Switch2CE

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SwitchMed is an EU-funded initiative fostering Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) patterns in southern Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. SwitchMed directly supports the reinforcement of an enabling policy environment, the practices by private sector and facilitation of experience-sharing among stakeholders. It further aims at stimulating the creation of greener business opportunities and decent employment, while reducing the environmental footprint of consumption and production activities. Different measures will help to make the circular economy model the mainstream business model in the Southern Mediterranean region.

The United Nations Environment Programme has provided advisory services and technical support to the project countries in the development of their Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plans (SCP-NAPs); and supported a variety of demonstration projects in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Palestine in the first phase - SwitchMed I (2013-2018).

SCP is about doing more and better with less. It is about meeting humanity’s needs but remaining within planetary boundaries, about using the natural resources that the Earth provides without degrading the environment. It is about improving lives and livelihoods, including for women and girls. During its second phase - SwitchMed II (2019-2024). the SwitchMed project works to support the development of policies and practices that support a switch to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in the Southern Mediterranean region and to make the circular economy the mainstream business model there. Building on the results, experiences and capacity from the first phase, UNEP continues the support to countries in reinforcing the implementation of the SCP-NAPs through progress monitoring, which allows integration of lessons learned by all countries’ partners working on SCP including the outcomes and decisions from the HLPF (High-level political forum on SDGs) and the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

UNEP will further cooperate with national partners on NAP implementation. The project implementation partners will also be encouraged to support gender balanced participation in implementing projects/activities and benefit from other supporting measures, including a guiding document for mainstreaming gender in project implementation and management that was developed under SwitchMed II.

SwitchMed is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and the Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (MedWaves, former SCP/RAC). The initiative is carried out in close coordination with the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement (DG NEAR).

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Partner countries

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During SwitchMed’s first phase (2013-2018) UNEP’s collaboration with the countries focused on the development of National Actions Plans (NAPs) for the transition to SCP and demonstration projects. The Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plans (SCP-NAPs) feed into and are closely linked to related national strategies (Sustainable Development, Green Growth) and the regional SCP action plan developed by UNEP-MAP.

Algeria Egypt Israel Jordan

Lebanon Morocco Palestine Tunisia

Under SwitchMed II, a list of short documents "How countries are switching to a Circular Economy" give an overview on how the SwitchMed countries are implementing activities/policies/programs on SCP and Circular Economy. The aim was not to present an exhaustive list of all the work that is being done by each country at national level but should rather be seen as some concrete examples on how the SwitchMed policy work that UNEP has been coordinated since 2015 has supported, inspired and directly implemented CE/SCP work at national level:

Algeria Egypt Israel Jordan

Lebanon Morocco Palestine Tunisia

Switch2CE download

SwitchMed also developed collaborations with different UNEP initiatives and programs during the implementation of phaseI. These collaborations allow SwitchMed countries and national stakeholders to access information, tools, methodologies and knowledge in tailored manner to their specific priorities and interests. In return SwitchMed supported these UNEP programs in providing them with lessons learned and good practices and access to new national partners and stakeholders. The following factsheets represent:

the interlinkages and synergies between SwitchMed and the international agenda:

SwitchMed and SDGs (English and Arabic)
SwitchMed and Circular Economy (English and Arabic)
SwitchMed and UNEA resolutions (English and Arabic)

and the concrete collaborations with:

Anatomy of Action (English and Arabic)
Arab SCP roundtable (English and Arabic)
Eco-innovation (English and Arabic)
Energy Efficiency (English and Arabic)
Green Growth Knowledge Platform (English and Arabic)
Good Life Goals (English and Arabic)
Life Cycle Thinking (English and Arabic)

Gender: Building on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Policy and Strategy for Gender and the Environment 2014–2017, a guiding document for mainstreaming gender in project implementation and management was developed to support implementation of the national projects/activities under the SwitchMed programme. The purpose of this guiding document is to i) help implementing partners understand the relevance of gender in their specific field of projects; ii) provide entry points for the integration of gender in project cycle activities and communications; and iii) provide practical guidance for strengthening gender considerations within the management of the SwitchMed II implementation at country level.

Relevant Sectors:

Food: UNEP is the custodian of the SDG 12.3 indicator, the Food Waste Index, which tracks country level progress to halve global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030. As custodian and mandated by UNEA Resolution 4/2, UNEP builds capacity and advocates to improve the enabling conditions to halve food loss and waste.

Textile: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is implementing a three-year project funded by the European Union (EU): Innovative Business Practices and Economic Models in the Textile Value Chain (InTex). All UNEP textiles work follows a value chain approach, a methodology for catalysing science-based policy action. Its purpose is to identify key points of intervention within economic systems to natural resource use, environmental and socio-economic impacts caused by production and consumption, and to define a common agenda for action.

Plastic: The resolution ‘End Plastic Pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument’, was adopted at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) on the 2nd of March 2022. This resolution comes to an agreement regarding setting an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to draft a legally binding agreement by 2024. From 28 November to 2 December 2022, the first session, INC-1, took place to begin developing an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. UNEP is actively working to address the issue of plastic pollution through a variety of campaigns and initiatives. These efforts aim to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of plastic on the environment and wildlife, promote solutions to reduce plastic waste and pollution, and encourage governments, businesses, and individuals to take action.

Circular Economy | One Planet | Lifecyle Initiative

Regional initiatives/activities:

Recipe of Change campaign (contributing to SDG12.3, 12.6 and 12.8)
SCP-HAT tool training in West Asia
State of Food Waste in West Asia
2050 Electronic and Electrical Waste Outlook in West Asia

In the post Covid -19 setting, countries will need to think how to re-position themselves to enable sustainable growth. SwitchMed aims to provide countries with opportunities to discuss, exchange ideas and find solutions to address the challenges through organization of a SCP Roundtable and a SCP Hackathon as national response to Covid -19, taking into consideration and anticipating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its implications on national consumption and production patterns as well as on the national economy. For more information please download the factsheets available in Arabic, English and French: