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.
Sustainable construction is shifting from ambition to procurement discipline, with whole life carbon, embodied carbon and whole life carbon assessment moving to the centre of material selection, planning risk and project delivery.
Holcim’s push to scale calcined clay in Czechia signals a maturing market for low carbon construction materials, as cement and concrete producers move clinker reduction from trial projects into commercial supply chains. The advance supports low carbon design, net zero carbon buildings and carbon footprint reduction, while strengthening the case for lifecycle assessment, environmental product declarations (EPDs) and sustainable material specification across major projects.
Regulatory pressure on chemicals is becoming a defining issue for environmental sustainability in construction. US state-level PFAS restrictions are creating compliance complexity for sealants, coatings, membranes and treated materials, with implications for global manufacturers and specifiers. Durable construction products will increasingly need to prove both performance and toxicological restraint, reshaping green building materials, green building products and sustainable building practices. This scrutiny reinforces life cycle thinking in construction, resource efficiency in construction and the wider circular economy in construction.
The UK policy debate around faster infrastructure delivery, energy strategy and environmental regulation highlights the tension between speed and credible decarbonising the built environment. Faster consent will not automatically deliver net zero whole life carbon, low embodied carbon materials or energy-efficient buildings unless planning reform is tied to sustainable building design, eco-design for buildings and robust building lifecycle performance. For developers, contractors and suppliers, the commercial priority is clear: align low carbon building strategies with life cycle cost, BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and circular construction strategies, or risk being overtaken as green construction standards become more forensic and fragmented.
Whole Life Carbon is a platform for the entire construction industry—both in the UK and internationally. We track the latest publications, debates, and events related to whole life guidance and sustainability. If you have any enquiries or opinions to share, please do
get in touch.
Let's chat!
WLC Assistant
Ask me about sustainability
Hi! I'm your Whole Life Carbon assistant. I can help you learn about sustainability, carbon assessment, and navigate our resources. How can I help you today?