1. Advancing the implementation of green jobs for youth pact in Africa

In partnership with Jacobs Ladder Africa (JLA), GO4SDGs is supporting Kenya in developing a green jobs legislative framework, refining the national green jobs strategy, launching a green jobs hub, and creating a green jobs index.

As part of this work, GO4SDGs and JLA co-organized a Kenya national workshop with stakeholders from government, the private sector, academia, and the development sector. This event explored the linkages between climate action, the green economy, and opportunities for green jobs and skills. Leading up to the workshop, twelve virtual consultations, three in-person meetings, and a high-level roundtable were held to consolidate initiatives and promote synergies among stakeholders.

Furthermore, in cooperation with UNESCO and the ILO, GO4SDGs is supporting Kenya’s Ministry of Education in reviewing and enhancing the strategy for greening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Cuba and Madagascar will enhance their green jobs and skills capacity through a UNDA project launching in September 2024. This initiative will support the Green Jobs for Youth Pact through the green jobs hub and conducting sector-specific green jobs assessments.

2. Raising ambition for tourism certification standards in Africa.

In partnership with the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme, Ecotourism Kenya, the Tourism Federation, and the East Africa Tourism Platform, GO4SDGs is supporting the development of Harmonized Sustainable Tourism Standards for East Africa. These standards aim to promote sustainability, maximize benefits for local communities, preserve cultural heritage, and reduce environmental impacts. The standards have been validated with tourism stakeholders and will be submitted to the East African Community (EAC) for approval. GO4SDGs is also supporting the training of assessors and auditors to implement these standards.

3. Financing circularity

GO4SDGs collaborates with finance experts and sustainable consumption practitioners to conduct research, raise awareness, and build capacity for SMEs in agrifood value chains, enabling them to access financing for resource-efficient and cleaner production upgrades. This work includes a finance-ecosystem project to promote resource efficiency and cleaner production (RECP) in SMEs operating in the dairy and tea value chains in Kenya.

GO4SDGs is supporting the scale up and replication of best practices from the RECP pilot to textile value chain in collaboration with National cleaner production centre of South Africa through awareness raising workshops and dialogues.

GO4SDGs also supports the Africa Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) in advancing circular economy practices in high-impact sectors, including a harmonized approach to PET recycling in Africa.

• Kenya National Green Jobs strategy Stakeholder Workshop - Details to follow
• Green Jobs Index Design Thinking Workshop - Details to follow
• UNDA kickoff Senegal and Madagascar - Details to follow

1. Advancing the UNEA 6 resolution on sustainable lifestyles

GO4SDGs is supporting universities in Central Asia and the Caucasus to become centres of learning for promoting sustainable 1.5-degree lifestyles through the establishment of the Sustainable Lifestyles University Network (SLUN) in collaboration with the Kazakh-German University. This network, comprising over 28 universities aims to drive positive change both on campus and beyond through customized training activities, assessment of institutional sustainability and introduction of training tools like the Sustainable Lifestyles Action Academy and Green Nudges, advancing the UNEA 6 Resolution on "Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles."

GO4SDGs also promotes sustainable lifestyles in the region through awareness raising activities including the Sustainable Lifestyles Festival. The 2024 festival will be held on 19-20 September 2024 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in hybrid mode. Updates to follow.

2. Raising ambition for sustainable tourism in the region

GO4SDGs is supporting Central Asian countries in the development and adoption of harmonized certification standards. These standards align with the UNEP/UNWTO Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Change in Tourism.

GO4SDGs also supports the hospitality sector institutions to enhance their skills and knowledge on sustainable tourism principles through targeted training programs for large hotel chains to reduce single use plastics and food waste by replicating the UNEP-led Recipe of Change initiative. This will instantly promote Sustainable Lifestyles in tourism sector for larger accommodation providers.

In Jyrgalan, Kyrgyzstan, and Assureti, Georgia, GO4SDGs since 2022 has implemented pilot projects to promote the recycling of single-use plastic waste. These initiatives have not only fostered sustainable tourism but also created green jobs for youth and women. Local municipalities in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia have identified and reserved locations for waste collection points, equipped with the necessary infrastructure. Waste containers for segregated collection have been installed, and local guest houses have been trained to incorporate circular practices in tourism.

The activities go in line with 2024 UNGA Resolution (78/260), which proclaimed 2027 the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism at the initiative of the Government of Uzbekistan, Central Asia.

3. Financing circularity through responsible banking and sustainable public procurement

In partnership with UNEP-FI, GO4SDGs has launched the Principles of Responsible Banking Academy to advance the skills and knowledge of Central Asian banks. The academy offers customized training modules that have long-term impact on the greening of economies and the creation of green jobs in high-impact sectors. The contextualization was informed by a thorough desk assessment and analysis of the financial market demand versus strategic development tasks in high-impact sectors in the region.

GO4SDGs is also raising awareness and strengthening legal framework on sustainable public procurement through a series of capacity building activities and expert advice tailored for the public sector.

• ​​​​Sustainable lifestyles festival (19-20 September, Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
• Series of webinars and dialogues on sustainable lifestyles and green nudges (Aug – Nov)
• PRB academy kick-off and training – (25-27 September, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)
• National Working Group meetings in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan on the UNEP/UNWTO Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Change in Tourism (20 August – 10 September)
• Regional Recipe of Change Webinar, targeting to build capacity of hotels from Central Asian region-wide to effectively manage and prevent plastic and food waste (7 October)
• Regional Working Group Meeting on Sustainable Tourism (25 October in Tashkent, Uzbekistan).

Promoting circularity in high impact sectors of food and fashion/textiles

• Food: GO4SDGs is promoting sustainable consumption and production in the food sector across West Asia through the Recipe of Change campaign. This initiative aims to combat food waste by raising awareness with the support of top chefs and key stakeholders in the region. Activities include special activations, such as the Green Ramadan campaign in partnership with Hilton Hotels, which achieved a 61% reduction in food waste across three Hilton hotels in 2023. The campaign expanded in 2024 to include over 32 hotels.
• GO4SDGs also supports the integration of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) into national policies. This includes conducting national studies to establish food waste baselines. An example of this work is the 2022 study in Doha, Qatar, which measured household food waste during Ramadan and non-Ramadan seasons. The study followed the UNEP Food Waste Index methodology, contributing to tracking progress on SDG 12.3.
• Fashion: GO4SDGs is advancing circularity in the textile value chain and fashion industry in West Asia through the West Asia Sustainable Fashion Academy (WASFA). WASFA aims at driving sustainability across the textile sector and the fashion industry through trainings, workshops and bootcamps, partnerships and communication activities including through the sustainable fashion communication playbook, which aims to spread awareness and best practices in sustainable fashion.