SWITCH-Med: switching to more sustainable consumption and production in the Mediterranean

The SWITCH Med is envisaged as a multi-component programme, with a total budget of between 15 to 20 EUR  M including contribution by implementing agencies; involving actors presently playing a key role in the area of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the Mediterranean region. The current project to be launched concerns the policy component of the SWITCH Med (with both regional activities as well as direct country level assistance in the design and implementation of SCP action plans) and will build on the framework of the Barcelona Convention with UNEP/MAP as the lead agency and the regional activity centre CP RAC as the key implementing body for MAP. SWITCH MED is to be implemented making best use of the complementarities in institutional governance and networking structure of UNEP/MAP (which include SCP and Green economy mandates through the MSSD/MCSD) and UNEP/DTIE with its technical mandate on SCP globally and its long standing experience of setting up and implementing the SWITCH Asia programme.

SCP demonstration activities to be launched, decoupling socio-economic development from environmental degradation and resource depletion

The other two components of SWITCH Med to be launched in the near future include (i) demonstration activities to scale up the UNIDO MED TEST methodology; to promote green entrepreneurship and empower civil society as key SCP drivers; and to implement priorities identified by legally binding measures under the Protocols of the Barcelona Convention and by the SCP NAPs; and (ii) a networking function to allow for exchange, lessons learnt and further scaling up of SCP activities in the region.

Project facts:

Geographical coverage: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, occupied Palestinian territory, (Syria) and Tunisia.

Project duration: 48 months (starting 2012/3 depending on the components)

Main results:

• Leapfrogging to socially inclusive Green Economies preserving the environment


• integrating the natural capital and the environment in the core business of Mediterranean companies


• Creating a critical mass of citizens for SCP

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