Since 2014, the SwitchMed Programme, funded by the European Union (EU), has catalyzed a shift towards Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices in eight countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia.

Led by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with UNEP, MedWaves, and regional partners, SwitchMed has supported businesses, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations to promote resource-efficient, circular economies in the region.

With two phases spanning from 2014 to 2024, UNIDO, under the MED TEST II and MED TEST III industry components, managed to position SwitchMed as a leading resource efficiency initiative in the southern Mediterranean, showcasing the industry’s potential for adopting resource-efficient business models.

During the ten years SwitchMed UNIDO has implemented over 200 industry pilots, demonstrating resource-efficient and circular practices across sectors like chemicals, textiles, leather, plastics, pharmaceutical, and food & beverages within industrial SMEs.

The pilots enabled companies to apply more resource-efficient and, in some cases, circular business models, which will help them operate more cost-efficiently and improve their competitiveness while reducing their operations' environmental impacts.

All in all, UNIDO was able to identify investments that can spur resource-efficient and circular production models at a value of 320 million Euro, and many of the identified investments have already been adopted by companies in the region. Building on this momentum, continued engagement and showcasing the best practices from the demonstration projects is essential to support the adoption of resource-efficient practices among industry stakeholders in the region.

This page provides crucial insights into fostering sustainability and circular economy practices in the MENA region. The emphasis on stakeholder engagement, tailored approaches, capacity building, and collaborative efforts has proven essential for overcoming challenges. These lessons will be invaluable for future initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable industrial practices and circular economy models, both within the MENA region and beyond.