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.
The UK construction sector faces a decisive moment as climate impacts intensify. The Climate Change Committee has issued its strongest warning yet that existing infrastructure and housing are unfit for emerging weather realities. The call for reform centres on sustainable building design, upgraded building standards, and a shift towards low carbon design capable of passive cooling and resilience against flooding. Achieving net zero whole life carbon in both new and existing structures requires a detailed whole life carbon assessment and a focus on embodied carbon in materials. These measures underpin environmental sustainability in construction as the nation transitions to green construction models.
Government momentum is increasing with the proposed Energy Independence Bill, aligning energy security with the circular economy in construction through renewable building materials, electrified supply chains and carbon neutral construction goals. Fiscal support for the construction sector must translate into resource efficiency in construction and measurable reductions in the carbon footprint of construction. Adopting lifecycle assessment and life cycle cost evaluation ensures long-term economic and environmental viability, embedding life cycle thinking in construction policy.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as a catalyst for decarbonising the built environment, improving material logistics, and refining low embodied carbon materials selection. AI-driven modelling enhances building lifecycle performance, supporting sustainable building practices that achieve net zero carbon buildings and reduce embodied carbon. The integration of environmental product declarations (EPDs) and BREEAM v7 benchmarks consolidates the drive for measurable decarbonisation and transparent whole life data.
Ecological regeneration projects and green infrastructure initiatives such as woodland restoration exemplify circular construction strategies that restore natural systems while delivering energy-efficient buildings. Through eco-design for buildings, sustainable material specification and end-of-life reuse in construction, the transition to sustainable construction is accelerating from policy ambition to mainstream delivery, defining the next phase of sustainable urban development with clear accountability for carbon footprint reduction and environmental impact of construction.
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