SwitchMed in Israel

United Nations 2 years ago

The Israeli Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ministry of Economy under the EU-funded SwitchMed programme, with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Plan is part of Israel’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG12.1) addressing sustainable consumption, sustainable production and focusing on connecting the dots and was developed in Israel through nationally owned multistakeholder processes.  Israel spent more than a year developing its SCP National Action Plan, supported throughout this process by SwitchMed (workshop summary). Wide-ranging discussions took place as part of developing this plan, including, for example, eight professional cross-sectoral workshops with more than 300 participants from the government, business, and NGOs. These workshops, and others like them, created professional networks that inspired ideas and plans, and provided practical knowledge to implementing SCP throughout the country. Switch to Circular Economy: Under SwitchMed II, a short document "How Israel is switching to a Circular Economy" was prepared to present an overview on how the country is implementing activities/policies/programs on SCP and Circular Economy. In this document you will see 10 success stories inspired by the work of SwitchMed in the State of Israel. They show how what began as awareness raising and in capacity building workshops developed into plans that created a ripple that flowed out around the country. This short publication shows that opportunities for countries from sustainable consumption and production are rich and varied. The Switch to SCP is off and running. SwitchMed is proud to have supported Israel in its work to build a society where people and planet thrive and prosper together. Sustainable consumption and production is no longer just something discussed in meeting rooms. Now it is happening on the ground, across business and industry, in cities and regions, reducing pollution, improving the air we breathe, and promoting better use of nature’s gifts through resource-efficient and low-carbon consumption and production practices. In-country activities: The implementation of the plan is ongoing through selected projects and initiatives on Environmentally Efficient Restaurants and Dining Establishments, Green Label for Businesses, Sustainable Industrial Zones and Sustainable Public Procurement in collaboration with Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection.  A Green Restaurants Guidebook was developed to help restaurant owners and dining establishments to take their first steps in the world of environmental sustainability. Better environmental performance on the part of businesses, and restaurants attracts a new environmental public awareness and allows customers to take sustainability into account when making their choices. An online platform which guides SMEs in acquiring a Green Label  was set up by the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo. This online platform/app guides business owners in an 'Environmental-Streamlining Process' which they could do independently in terms of energy, water, cleaning products, inventory management and waste reduction as well as paper products. Once they have prepared their businesses they can opt to receive the Green Label for their institution. The Green label initiative can easily be replicated and adapted to other municipalities and other countries with a relative low cost. A Manual for the design of Sustainable Industrial Zones was developed. In the manual, planners and managers of industrial zones are presented with detailed specifications on energy, water, wastewater, waste, transportation and environmental management for the development of a sustainable industrial zone. The manual aims to assist industrial zones in improving their sustainability while encouraging the development and use of advanced technology that result in improved environmental performance, operational and economic efficiency, savings in money and resources, financial gain and competitive advantages.  Sustainable public procurement (SPP) The Ministry of Environmental Protection assisted local authorities to incorporate sustainable public procurement tenders into their process and to build the infrastructure needed to expand the use of such tenders in the local government: mapping and identification of relevant and significant tenders, preparation of guiding documents in Hebrew for local authorities and trainings for local authorities. In 2016-2017, the Ministry of Environmental Protection conducted 10 workshops for procurement managers in local authorities. The unique procurement needs of the local government were discussed and priorities for the preparation of green product sheets were set. More than 50 local authorities from the different geographical districts (North, Haifa, Center, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and South district) took part. Under SwitchMed II, UNEP is collaborating with Israel on Circular Economy national strategy for plastics;  Circular public procurement;  Blue Economy dialogue; National Business Strategy for Blue Economy;  End-of-Life PV Panels and Batteries; and Blue Economy accelerator program and awareness raising.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 5 hours ago



The UK construction sector is facing renewed scrutiny as progress in sustainable construction contrasts with structural shortcomings in national retrofit programmes. The National Audit Office’s review of the Energy Company Obligation scheme exposed extensive failures in external wall insulation installations, highlighting the need for a more rigorous whole life carbon assessment framework. Poorly executed retrofits inflate the embodied carbon of housing stock and undermine net zero carbon buildings targets. The report underscores an industry-wide requirement for improved sustainable building practices and life cycle thinking in construction to ensure public funds deliver genuine carbon footprint reduction.

Growing momentum in skills development offers a counterpoint to these setbacks. New 'green construction' bootcamps initiated by the government and industry training body CATCH are equipping workers with expertise in low carbon design, eco-design for buildings, and sustainable building design. Targeted training in resource efficiency in construction, low embodied carbon materials, and renewable building materials aims to close the green skills gap threatening progress toward decarbonising the built environment. Industry collaboration with initiatives such as BusinessGreen’s Workforce 2030 campaign reinforces the transition from conventional construction to a circular economy in construction model.

Major public investment in green infrastructure continues to accelerate climate resilience. The government’s £10.5 billion commitment to flood protection integrates eco-friendly construction and sustainable urban development principles, prioritising nature-based solutions that align with whole life carbon reduction strategies. By favouring low carbon construction materials and sustainable material specification, the UK is refining its approach to building lifecycle performance across environmental, social, and life cycle cost dimensions.

At a research level, the University of Hull’s new flood resilience lab signals progress in innovation for energy-efficient buildings and low carbon building materials. The facility supports SMEs in product development that promotes circular construction strategies, end-of-life reuse in construction, and certified standards such as BREEAM and BREEAM v7. By embedding environmental sustainability in construction within academic and industrial partnerships, the sector is advancing measurable gains in environmental product declarations (EPDs) and carbon footprint of construction assessments.

Policy reform in Europe may reshape the global sustainability landscape. Adjustments to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) risk weakening transparency on the environmental impact of construction, particularly regarding embodied carbon in materials and whole life carbon disclosure. The softened scope threatens to slow alignment with net zero whole life carbon goals and the uptake of carbon neutral construction standards. Across the continent, the challenge remains ensuring that sustainability commitments translate into demonstrable, verifiable outcomes built on robust data and consistent regulatory ambition.

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