The Egyptian Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment and the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) under the EU-funded SwitchMed programme, with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The plan is part of Egypt’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SCP-NAP (SDG12.1) addresses four priority sectors water, energy, agriculture, and municipal solid waste and was developed in Egypt through nationally owned multistakeholder processes. The SCP-NAP for Egypt was officially launched on April 18th, 2016 at a side event during the 6th special session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Cairo, Egypt. SCP-NAP demonstration projects: The implementation of the plan is ongoing through selected projects and initiatives. A selection process led by the Ministry of Environment with participation of different government stakeholders and the Projects Steering Committee choose two projects from the list of 28 project proposals of the Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan: reducing plastic bag consumption and mainstreaming sustainable public procurement (SPP). CEDARE was designated by the Ministry of Environment as SwitchMed leading implementing partner for both projects. Reducing plastic bag consumption: Egypt consumes around 12 billion plastic bags annually, which vastly affects humans’ health as well as animal and marine life. The Ministry of Environment, CEDARE and UNEP cooperated with 7 main supermarket chains (Metro, Carrefour, HyperOne, Ragab Sons, Kheir Zaman, Fathalla Market & Al Raya Market) to encourage Egyptians reducing their consumption of plastic bags and to shift towards more environment-friendly alternatives. Sustainable public procurement (SPP): Sustainable public procurement is one of the priorities in the Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan aiming at pointing out the importance of the public sector and government in creating a push and a demand for and from local markets for green and sustainable products. By acting as a role model in creating a mechanism for purchasing sustainable goods and services, other market stakeholders can be directly and indirectly influenced to join in promoting sustainable procurement and purchasing. Several activities were developed in Egypt to allow the country to move ahead in promoting sustainable public procurement practices and foster the switch through concrete actions and tools. For detailed project information please download the factsheets of the demo project.
Europe faces an urgent challenge in cutting the carbon footprint of construction. Research finds that only a complete overhaul of EU building stock will meet new emissions reduction targets for 2030. Deeper upgrades in energy performance, accelerated use of low carbon construction materials and investment in sustainable building design are highlighted as essential. Policymakers and developers are being urged to embed Whole Life Carbon thinking into renovation programmes, ensuring that both operational and embodied carbon are reduced at pace.
In the UK, the Retirement Villages Group is moving ahead with net zero carbon buildings, underpinned by science-based targets that include Whole Life Carbon Assessment and robust sustainability metrics. Their approach prioritises sustainable construction for an ageing population through eco-design for buildings, renewable building materials and energy-efficient buildings. This alignment of ambition with delivery demonstrates how sustainable building practices can serve both social demand and environmental sustainability in construction.
Debate is intensifying across Europe over sustainable finance and reporting rules. More than 200 companies are pressing lawmakers not to dilute requirements for ESG transparency. For the construction sector, where life cycle cost, lifecycle assessment and embodied carbon in materials are under close scrutiny, regression in policy could slow progress. Stronger enforcement is seen as vital to support sustainable material specification, environmental product declarations (EPDs) and carbon footprint reduction.
Digital platforms are reshaping environmental sustainability in construction by enabling real-time monitoring on site. Enhanced data improves material optimisation, reduces waste and tracks energy use, supporting lifecycle assessment and building lifecycle performance. These tools are quietly accelerating carbon footprint reduction and supporting low-impact construction through resource efficiency in construction and circular construction strategies.
Acquisitions and consolidation in the compliance and testing market underline a growing priority for credible assessment of low carbon building performance. SOCOTEC’s purchase of a structural monitoring specialist highlights increasing demand for reliable data to support Whole Life Carbon Assessment and green finance compliance. Accurate building lifecycle performance analysis is becoming essential as developers prove commitments to carbon neutral construction.
Global climate negotiations are placing construction at the centre of decarbonising the built environment. Campaigners are calling for low carbon design, Circular Economy in construction and net zero Whole Life Carbon strategies to become mainstream policy tools. Infrastructure and buildings are expected to dominate the agenda in the run-up to COP30, reinforcing the message that sustainable construction and eco-friendly construction are no longer optional but central to climate action.
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