SwitchMed in Lebanon

United Nations 2 years ago

The Lebanese Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment (MoE) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Industry (MoI) and other key partners under the EU funded SwitchMed programme. with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Plan is part of Lebanon’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SCP-NAP (SDG 12.1) prioritizes the mainstreaming of SCP in the industrial sector’s policies and plans and as developed in a participatory and consultative approach. SCP-NAP Summary was also available.  Switch to Circular Economy: Under SwitchMed II, a short document "How Lebanon 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 Lebanese Republic. They show how what began in 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 Lebanon in its work to build a society where people and planet thrive and prosper together. Lebanon has already developed integrated plans and a regulatory framework that have SCP at their core. For some time now, it has been building on these, expanding its waste reduction plan, establishing a circular economy, and further developing its work on sustainable water managements and energy solutions. It is clear that SCP 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. Demonstration project:  UNEP work with Lebanese NGO - Nusaned under SwitchMed II in Lebanon on a community-based pilot in the Mar Mikhael - Gemmayze area in Beirut which seeks to address the challenges of reduction and prevention of food waste and packaging waste to divert them from landfills using concepts of SCP and circular economy. The outputs include: Green and Circular Restaurants Project Report Plastics Circle Report Food Circle Report Guideline for Restaurants Eateries to become Green and Circular For each of these documents 2-page and 10-page factsheet/summary delivered:  Nudawwer Project  Nudawwer Food Circle   Nudawwer Plastics Circle    Nudawwer Green and Circular Restaurants   SM II Lebanon Nudawwer   SM II Lebanon Nudawwer Food Circle   SM II Lebanon Nudawwer Plastics Circle  SM II Lebanon Nudawwer Green and Circular Restaurants  Policy recommendations of the different “circles” Next steps will be the organization of national restitution events and the preparation of  communication and awareness raising material. We looking forward to replicate this collaboration in the other on-going projects under SwitchMed II with the Hariri Foundation in Saida.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 9 hours ago



Sustainable construction is entering a phase of measurable enforcement and integration across materials, policy, and practice. Large-scale ocean trials using olivine “green sand” for CO₂ removal indicate pathways to reduce the embodied carbon in materials and the overall carbon footprint of construction. Early evidence that marine ecosystems remain stable strengthens confidence in mineral-based drawdown technologies capable of complementing low carbon building solutions and contributing to net zero whole life carbon goals. Such innovation aligns with life cycle thinking in construction, connecting material sourcing with Whole Life Carbon Assessment and lifecycle assessment frameworks that now underpin sustainable building design.

Policy momentum is reinforcing this shift. The UK’s Waste Crime Action Plan introduces tougher controls on waste carriers, promoting resource efficiency in construction and strengthening the circular economy through reliable end-of-life reuse. This reflects the industry’s steady transition from rhetoric to regulation, embedding circular construction strategies within national compliance structures. Enhanced traceability is driving legitimate operators to adopt sustainable material specification and eco-friendly construction practices consistent with environmental sustainability in construction objectives.

Funding for the UK Business Climate Hub broadens access for SMEs to low-impact construction tools once limited to larger firms. The resulting democratisation of sustainable building practices supports achievable pathways toward net zero carbon buildings, low embodied carbon materials adoption, and wider implementation of eco-design for buildings. Legislative refinements under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act further enable local authorities to give preference to low carbon design and adaptive reuse schemes, promoting sustainability-led planning frameworks.

These shifts collectively signal a stabilising of green construction norms, integrating whole life carbon, life cycle cost evaluation, and carbon footprint reduction into everyday decision-making. The diffusion of sustainable design principles across policy and practice demonstrates a decisive alignment between innovation, regulation, and economic feasibility. The built environment is moving toward a model where environmental product declarations (EPDs), BREEAM certification, and circular economy in construction metrics define quality, delivering genuine decarbonising of the built environment rather than aspirational targets.

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