SwitchMed in Morocco

United Nations 3 years ago

The Moroccan Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development under the EU-funded SwitchMed Programme, with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme. The Plan is part of Morocco’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SCPNAP(SDG12.1) addresses two priority sectors, the Sector Plan on Food and Agriculture and the Sector Plan on Building and Construction were developed in Morocco through nationally owned multi-stakeholder processes. The SCP-NAP of Morocco has been integrated in the Moroccan National Sustainable Development Strategy and implementation is currently on-going.   Switch to Circular Economy: Under SwitchMed II, a short document "How Morocco 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 Kingdom of Morocco. 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 Morocco in its work to build a society where people and planet thrive and prosper together. Morocco has developed a national strategy for sustainable development that has SCP at its core. By building on the foundations laid in its National Action Plan, the country hopes to expand its work on circular economic models, on waste reduction and recycling, and on building a its blue economy as a pillar of development. It is clear that 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.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 1 hour ago



Europe’s recalibrated carbon market reflects a shift towards measurable environmental sustainability in construction. By easing cost pressures while embedding a whole life carbon approach, the European Commission aligns industrial competitiveness with sustainable building design. The integration of whole life carbon assessment into policy highlights the move from abstract sustainability to data-driven decarbonising of the built environment. Industries long resistant to change now treat embodied carbon as a quantifiable asset shaping both compliance and innovation.

Across the Atlantic, climate risk has reshaped investment models in sustainable construction. Developers now incorporate life cycle cost evaluation and lifecycle assessment to value resilience and long-term efficiency. Resilience is evolving from a moral imperative into a financial metric, linking building lifecycle performance directly to access to capital. Municipal projects adopting circular economy principles or circular construction strategies are securing backing earlier, reinforcing the relationship between sustainable urban development and economic stability.

Scotland’s 2GW offshore wind developments illustrate how green infrastructure and renewable building materials underpin low carbon design across Europe. The expansion of energy-efficient buildings and low carbon construction materials demonstrates that sustainable building practices are maturing into core engineering disciplines. Deep-water projects are redefining how low embodied carbon materials and eco-design for buildings interact within broader net zero carbon frameworks.

In London, the new spatial Plan signals that sustainable architecture and eco-friendly construction can coexist with volume-led housing delivery. The application of BREEAM v7 benchmarks and net zero whole life carbon objectives reflects a cultural shift towards carbon neutral construction as standard. Whole life carbon assessment now informs sustainable material specification, environmental product declarations (EPDs), and resource efficiency in construction, creating transparency across the supply chain.

Sustainability is no longer a peripheral objective but a blueprint for growth. The carbon footprint of construction, once a limiting factor, is becoming a competitive advantage as low-impact construction adopts life cycle thinking in construction. The transition to net zero carbon buildings reinforces that green construction and sustainable design are now cornerstones of future-ready, high-performance infrastructure.

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