SwitchMed in Morocco

United Nations 2 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 6 hours ago



The UK’s latest report on decarbonising the built environment stresses the urgency of adopting whole life carbon strategies across design, procurement and operations. It identifies whole life carbon assessment, modular methods and renewable building materials as the backbone of sustainable construction. A shift toward sustainable building design is presented not as optional but as essential to reaching 2050 net zero whole life carbon targets. The analysis demonstrates how life cycle cost modelling and lifecycle assessment can guide both developers and local authorities to prioritise eco-design for buildings while minimising embodied carbon in materials.

This policy-driven focus coincides with on-the-ground implementation at scale. The new £120 million Avonmouth and Severnside flood mitigation scheme exemplifies green infrastructure in practice, integrating biodiversity restoration with climate resilience. By adopting nature-based solutions, the project highlights both the environmental sustainability in construction and the environmental impact of construction avoided when low-impact construction techniques replace conventional flood defences. It reinforces the alignment of sustainable urban development with circular construction strategies that protect communities while restoring ecosystems.

Materials innovation is reshaping supply chains across sectors with direct relevance to building lifecycle performance. Mercedes-Benz’s investment in low embodied carbon materials such as hydrogen-produced aluminium signals the reach of circular economy in construction principles into manufacturing and design. For construction leaders, the example underscores the potential of low carbon construction materials and low carbon design in cutting the carbon footprint of construction. These approaches allow specifiers to consider environmental product declarations (EPDs) and sustainable building practices as integral to material selection, ensuring a verifiable reduction of embodied carbon.

Uncertainty in policy has provoked industry concern. Proposals to loosen or repeal long-standing climate targets raise risks for net zero carbon buildings and carbon neutral construction. Without legislative continuity, early adopters of sustainable material specification, breeam certification and breeam v7 standards face obstacles in scaling best practice. The industry recognises that decarbonising the built environment depends not only on green building materials and eco-friendly construction, but also on supportive frameworks that provide the long-term certainty required for investment in sustainable design.

Corporate and investor scrutiny is further driving the sector towards transparency. Companies are increasingly pressured to view sustainability in terms of building lifecycle performance, life cycle thinking in construction, and resource efficiency in construction. Missteps in carbon footprint reduction will not go unnoticed when investors demand proof of low carbon buildings through robust lifecycle assessment. The study published this week stresses that environmental sustainability in construction is not a one-time achievement but a re-engineering of practice around sustainable architecture, end-of-life reuse in construction, and circular economy strategies that anchor green construction in measurable outcomes.

Momentum is clearly visible in the expansion of circular economy in construction systems. Reclaimed materials, adaptive reuse and sustainable building practices are expanding from pilot schemes into mainstream deployment. With eco-design for buildings advancing and sustainable construction gradually normalising across markets, the sector is shifting sustainable goals into tangible, energy-efficient buildings. Each project contributes to cutting the embodied carbon of the built environment, reaffirming confidence that low carbon building practices can evolve into the global benchmark for sustainability.

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