SwitchMed in Palestine

United Nations 2 years ago

The Palestinian Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Environment Quality Authority (EQA) under the EU-funded SwitchMed programme, with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme. The Plan is part of Palestine’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SCP-NAP which contributes to SDG12.1, prioritizes tourism, housing and construction, agriculture and food and was developed in Palestine through nationally owned multi-stakeholder processes. It was officially launched by H.E. the Prime Minister of Palestine on October 5th, 2016 during a two-day Sustainable Consumption and Production workshop and exhibition in Ramallah. The implementation of the plan is ongoing through selected projects and initiatives. Switch to Circular Economy: Under SwitchMed II, a short document "How Palestine 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 State of Palestine. 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 Palestine in its work to build a society where people and planet thrive and prosper together. Palestine has already developed policies, strategies, and integrated plans to form a regulatory framework that has SCP at its core. For some time now, it has been building on these, expanding its waste reduction plan, promoting a resource-efficient circular economy, and further developing its work on sustainable water management 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.   SCP-NAP demonstration projects: The implementation of the SCP-NAP's priorities - tourism and agriculture&food was carried out through selected projects and initiatives.  Promoting Eco-trails: This project supported the development, testing and dissemination of Guidelines and selection criteria corresponding to the specific national context and needs in full participation of all relevant stakeholders. The testing and approval workshops on eco-trails involved over 50 relevant stakeholders’ participation. Two on-site training workshops were organize in the natural reserve of Al Uja in Jericho gevernorate and the natural reserve of Wadi El Quf in Hebron Governoarate with around 100 participants from related institutions. Subjected to the guidelines and methodology, potential trails and sites were collected and 7 eco-trails were selected for rehabilitation to become showcase examples of sustainable eco-trails /sites. The rehabilitation included the following: (prepare trail maps, blaze the trails, prepare a brochure for each trail with information on fauna and flora). Sustainable Agriculture modules: Agriculture and food are among the main sectors of the Palestinian SCP-NAP.  The Guidelines of Biological Pest Control seeks to manage pests by using methods that are effective, economically sound, and ecologically compatible, through promoting the use and integration of multiple tactics such as use of resistant varieties or behavioral modification. The Guidelines of biological Pest Control was elaborated, printed and presented to farmers and stakeholders, especially through two workshops in Nablus on April 25th, 2018 and in Hebron on April 26th, 2018, where around 100 representatives from related institutions and farmers participated. The Manual for Agricultural Best Practices identified the best practices that can result in protecting the soil quality and moisture content. A manual was developed and presented to the farmers and other stakeholders in the different governorates. Four consultation and technical meetings were held during September to October of 2017 for the review and submission of the report. Around 50 relevant specialist and staff from EQA and Ministry of Agriculture as well as 45 farmers, 53 agricultural extension staff and 18 institutes experts provided feedback in the process through questionnaires and interviews. Two training workshops were organized at Ministry of Agriculture in Nablus Governorate on 12th Feb 2018 with 30 extension staff and farmers from Northern Governorates and at Hebron Governorate on 20th Feb 2018 with 60 extension staff and farmers from middle Governorates attended. Three Sustainable Consumption and Production expos were organized in Jenin (28 Nov. 2017), Hebron (17 Dec. 2017) and Gaza (15 Jan. 2018). For each expo, more than 500 visitors from all governorates of the country, women's associations, private sector, governmental institutions, universities, and municipalities participated. The exhibitions included more than 30 initiatives ranging from recycling of used tires to organic agriculture and upcycled fashion. In the context of the expos, the Sustainable Consumption and Production projects were presented and well covered by media. For detailed project information please download the factsheets of the demo projects.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 8 hours ago



Low‑carbon construction is advancing from ambition to implementation as the UK embeds rigorous sustainable building design principles into national policy. The Warm Homes Plan is placing Whole Life Carbon Assessment and lifecycle thinking in construction at the centre of housing retrofit programmes, with engineers stressing that installer competence and design quality are pivotal to cutting embodied carbon in materials and operational emissions.

New training frameworks integrating BREEAM and BREEAM v7 standards promote low embodied carbon materials and renewable building materials as baseline knowledge for sustainable building practices. Industrial collaborations such as PuriFire Energy’s partnership with Severn Trent on converting wastewater into hydrogen and biomethane exemplify circular economy in construction thinking. This evolution of infrastructure into decentralised clean‑energy assets aligns with carbon neutral construction and resource efficiency in construction, underscoring how the circular economy and decarbonising the built environment are redefining investment strategies.

While national policymaking remains fragmented, local authorities are demonstrating applied environmental sustainability in construction through green infrastructure and eco‑design for buildings. London’s £4.6 million allocation to green and blue space projects links sustainable urban development with flood resilience and community value. These initiatives illustrate the growing emphasis on life cycle cost analysis and end‑of‑life reuse in construction as performance indicators for sustainable architecture.

Growing recognition of data‑driven building lifecycle performance marks a shift towards low carbon design achieved through smart asset management. Whole life carbon data, environmental product declarations (EPDs), and lifecycle assessment now determine whether net zero carbon buildings meet intended standards. The carbon footprint of construction is narrowing through precise oversight of materials, systems and usage, signalling that true sustainability lies in intelligent design, measurable outcomes and continuous knowledge loops within the built environment.

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