Promoting transition to sustainability in the Mediterranean and recognizing success stories of sustainable businesses and public authorities supporting them.
The award
At COP 21 the Contracting Parties requested that UNEP/MAP, through MedWaves (the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production), launch the first edition of a Mediterranean business award for environmental innovation, as a flagship initiative of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD).
In 2021, the WeMed Award was launched, to promote an inclusive transition to sustainability in the Mediterranean and recognize success stories of sustainable businesses and public authorities supporting them.
The WeMed Award is developed by MedWaves as part of the Switchers Support Programme and its first edition was financed by the EU-funded SwitchMed programme. The award will bolster the endeavor aiming to initiate the transformational changes needed for a post-COVID green renaissance in the Mediterranean.
The award will recognize measures taken by candidates to ensure gender equality. The jury itself will reflect gender and pan-Mediterranean geographical balance.
Objectives
- recognize outstanding achievements of green and circular economy businesses and the organizations that support them;
- inspire other entrepreneurs to adopt environmental and social innovations in their business models with a view to expand them at scale in the region;
- highlight the need to promote an entrepreneurial ecosystem that allows the growth of green and circular economy companies and recognize successful actions of the actors in this ecosystem.
The 2021 edition
SCP/RAC received 117 applications for the first edition of the MedAward. The winners delected by the award jury are: Green Fashion (Egypt); FabricAid (Lebanon); the Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (Jordan).
The award’s ceremony took place on 20 October 2021 during the online edition of SwitchMed Connect.
The 2022 edition
In this second edition, the award will recognize success stories of sustainable businesses in the textile, clothing and fashion sector. The award in this edition seeks to identify textile, clothing and fashion entrepreneurs and start-ups with innovative sustainable business models and a defined business plan within the following categories:
- Northern Mediterranean countries: eligible areas of ENI CBC Med in Europe.
- Southern Mediterranean: eligible areas of ENI CBC Med in Maghreb and Mashrek
The sustainable business models award recognizes projects that are in their “early” and “growth stage” scalable eco-innovative ventures led by women (no age limit) and/or youth (up to 35 years old). This edition 2022 is funded by the ENI CBC Med Programme and SwitchMed Programme.
Applications are open from 12 September 2022 to 16 October 2022
Learn more: www.wemedaward.org
