SwitchMed in Egypt

United Nations 2 years ago

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.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 7 hours ago



The renewed focus on whole life carbon and embodied carbon dominated discussions as COP30 unfolded in Belém, setting a clear agenda for the future of sustainable construction. Insights from the UK Green Building Council’s Embodied Carbon Summit indicate that the sector is moving towards mandatory whole life carbon assessment, placing lifecycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis at the forefront of sustainable building design. With the carbon footprint of construction representing over a third of global emissions, policymakers and industry leaders are under growing pressure to legislate net zero whole life carbon reporting and support decarbonising the built environment.

Industry experts predict a decisive shift toward eco-design for buildings that integrate low carbon design principles and circular economy in construction strategies. As the debate expands beyond operational performance, attention is turning to embodied carbon in materials, renewable building materials, and low embodied carbon materials, steering resource efficiency in construction and guiding the specification of green building materials supported by environmental product declarations (EPDs). Companies adopting circular construction strategies and committing to end-of-life reuse in construction are establishing new standards for building lifecycle performance.

Energy sourcing continues to evolve as major developers follow Ørsted’s lead in achieving near-total emission reductions, proving that carbon neutral construction and energy-efficient buildings are economically viable. The expansion of green infrastructure and sustainable urban development frameworks signals a transformation in sustainable building practices underpinned by BREEAM and the forthcoming BREEAM v7 standards.

The discourse around net zero carbon buildings increasingly intersects with social equity imperatives. Nations such as Mexico and South Korea are refining regulatory pathways for low carbon building initiatives and sustainable material specification, reinforcing the link between environmental sustainability in construction and inclusive growth. The momentum toward sustainable design is now indisputable, as governments and industry align on transparent metrics, stronger regulations, and outcomes grounded in verified life cycle thinking in construction. The rhetoric of sustainability is shifting into demonstrable practice, driving measurable carbon footprint reduction across the global built environment.

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