Supporting sustainable consumption and production practices for a circular economy in the Mediterranean

The SwitchMed initiative is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Economy Division, and MedWaves, the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) regional activity centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (formerly known as SCP/RAC). The initiative is carried out in close coordination with the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement (DG NEAR). The initiative was launched in 2013 to speed up the shift to sustainable consumption and production patterns in the Southern Mediterranean, notably through the promotion of circular economy approaches. The programme aims at achieving productive, circular and sharing economies in the Mediterranean by changing the way goods and services are consumed and produced so that human development is decoupled from environmental degradation. Its activities benefit 8 countries in the Southern Mediterranean. Through policy development, demonstration activities and networking opportunities, SwitchMed supports and connects stakeholders to scale-up eco and social innovations. The programme supports policy makers, eco-innovative small and medium sized enterprises, industries, start-ups and entrepreneurs in the Southern Mediterranean countries, which have identified job creation and natural resource protection as priority issues that also contribute to their economic stability. The SwitchMed Initiative contributes to the achievement of several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 8 – Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all SDG 9 – Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation SDG 12 – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns SDG 17 – Revitalize the global partnerships for sustainable development The SwitchMed initiative is aligned with the New Circular Economy Action Plan adopted by the European Commission. The measures for mainstreaming sustainable products and empowering consumers and public buyers presented in the Action Plan including the focus on the sectors that use most resources and where the potential for circularity is high such as plastics, textiles, food are embedded in the design of the SwitchMed Initiative.     LAUNCH PROJECT