SwitchMed in Lebanon

United Nations 3 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 7 hours ago



Policy momentum in the UK is setting the direction for a new era of sustainable construction rooted in measurable carbon performance. Planning reforms proposing the delivery of 1.5 million homes signal an urgent balance between rapid development and low carbon design. The debate now hinges on whether the next generation of housing can achieve net zero whole life carbon without compromising affordability or urban resilience. This shift underscores the necessity of whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment across all stages of the built environment, from design to end-of-life reuse in construction.

The workforce transition is equally critical. Skills England’s forecast of 250,000 additional roles highlights that decarbonising the built environment demands not only policy innovation but also technical capability in sustainable building design, resource efficiency in construction and the specification of low embodied carbon materials. These skills will support the progression of carbon neutral construction and the integration of circular economy principles into procurement frameworks.

At the project level, the adoption of plug‑in battery systems and renewable building materials demonstrates how energy-efficient buildings are becoming active participants in grid stability. This evolution reflects a deeper commitment to environmental sustainability in construction through eco-design for buildings and sustainable material specification that minimises the carbon footprint of construction.

Across Europe, climate accountability is tightening. Corporate emissions scrutiny and extreme weather events reinforce the imperative for green construction that measures embodied carbon in materials and validates performance through environmental product declarations (EPDs) and BREEAM v7 certification. The convergence of sustainable design, circular construction strategies and life cycle cost analysis is making the environmental impact of construction transparent and quantifiable.

What was once an aspirational green agenda has become a framework for sustainable urban development guided by verifiable metrics of carbon footprint reduction and building lifecycle performance. The result is a global shift toward low impact, eco-friendly construction driven by evidence, regulation and innovation that embeds sustainability at the core of every design and decision.

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