The Lebanese Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment (MoE) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Industry (MoI) and other key partners under the EU funded SwitchMed programme. with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Plan is part of Lebanon’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SCP-NAP (SDG 12.1) prioritizes the mainstreaming of SCP in the industrial sector’s policies and plans and as developed in a participatory and consultative approach. SCP-NAP Summary was also available.
Switch to Circular Economy:
Under SwitchMed II, a short document "How Lebanon 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 Lebanese Republic. 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 Lebanon in its work to build a society where people and planet thrive and prosper together.
Lebanon has already developed integrated plans and a regulatory framework that have SCP at their core. For some time now, it has been building on these, expanding its waste reduction plan, establishing a circular economy, and further developing its work on sustainable water managements 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.
In-country activities:
1. Nudawwer: Under SwitchMed II in Lebanon, UNEP worked with Lebanese NGO - Nusaned on a community-based pilot in the Mar Mikhael - Gemmayze area in Beirut which seeks to address the challenges of reduction and prevention of food waste and packaging waste to divert them from landfills using concepts of SCP and circular economy. In the context of the Nudawwer demo project, the restaurants are those actively implementing sustainable and circular practices to reduce their environmental impact. The outputs include:
Nudawwer Project (2-pager and 10-pager). "Nudawwer" refers to a circular or continuous movement in Arabic and the root of the word also associates with recycling. Throughout the project duration (July 2022 – Dec. 2023), the emphasis is on drawing lessons learned from the testing phase to instil circularity, particularly the concepts of prevention and reduction, rather than just promote recycling practices within the community.
Plastics Circle Report (2-pager and 10-pager). Reducing non-organic waste, particularly plastics, through sorting at the source and recycling to earn points redeemable at local vendors while incentivizing sustainable behaviours and waste reduction to earn points converted to vouchers which are redeemable at local vendors.
Food Circle Report (2-pager and 10-pager). Preventing and reducing food waste, while creating a closed-loop system. Restaurants received guidance on waste segregation, monitoring food waste reduction through meal tracking and waste composition analyses. The food waste is collected and processed to produce organic compost that is tested to ensure quality and used in-house or shared with the restaurants’ local farmers.
Green and Circular Restaurants Project Report (2-pager and 10-pager) are ones that adopt sustainable practices based on SCP and CE in their operations. These restaurants strive to minimize their ecological footprint through tackling packaging and promoting sustainable food production and consumption, where resources are used efficiently, waste is minimized, and materials are recycled or repurposed.
Recommendations to Tackle Food Waste and Plastic Pollution provides targeted recommendations, based on the Nudawwer project, for policymakers to establish an enabling policy framework and to support Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in adopting green and circular business models, as well as recommendations for consumers.
More deliverables will come, including Guideline for Food Service Sector to become Circular (2-pager and 10-pager) (on-going)
2. SCP & Blue Economy: UNEP in collaboration with Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development in Saida will further work on
Blue Economy dialogue- The conference aims to mainstream the topic of the Blue Economy nationally, showcasing the findings of the national BE assessment and endorsing policy recommendations, with a focus on fisheries, coastal tourism, and port activities. The conference will feature high-level political and technical engagements, serving as a stepping stone towards a more circular, environmentally resilient, and prosperous BE in Lebanon.
- Blue Economy action plan.
- SCP/CE tools and capacity building.
