European Development Days 2017

European Development Days is an annual event that brings the development community together to share ideas and experiences in ways that inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

The 2017 edition promoted a new global strategy to address the most pressing global development challenges and bring together development actors committed to tackling poverty worldwide, with a particular emphasis on engaging the private sector as a partner in economic development. The overarching objectives of private-sector engagement include the promotion of inclusive growth and the creation of decent jobs, in particular for women and young people, which leads to improved living conditions.

SWITCH Africa Green co-hosted the booth called “Building a global community of sustainable enterprises improving livelihoods” and participated in the project lab titled “Business switch to green with innovative support services”.

The Global Village, the exhibition event of European Development Days, showcased success stories from around the world and presented a great opportunity for participants to network and share their experiences from the field. The village was composed of some 80 stands that featured projects, reports and programmes related to the forum’s themes: Investing in People and Planet, Investing in Prosperity and Investing in Peace and Partnership. The stands were designed to underline the useful, practical and knowledge-sharing aspects of the forum.

SWITCH Africa Green co-hosted a cluster booth at the Global Village, along with SWITCH-Asia, SWITCHMed and the SWITCH to Green facility, under the banner “Building a global community of sustainable enterprises improving livelihoods”, to exhibit the activities and products of the beneficiaries of the SWITCH programmes and to showcase the impact of green business development in the respective regions. In addition, the four SWITCH programmes gave a two-minute pitch during the “Business switch to green with innovative support services” project lab, during which the four programmes invited participants to the SWITCH stand to learn more about their work. 

SWITCH Africa Green participated in the global village and the “Business switch to green with innovative support services” project lab

Business switch to green with innovative support services: SWITCH engages with the private sector to promote an inclusive green economy

The “Business switch to green with innovative support services” project lab addressed the transition to an inclusive green economy as a new model of development that can be based on the circular economy paradigm. The session focused on the experience of the SWITCH programmes in Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean region in developing partnerships with the private sector to shift the behaviour and practices of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) towards sustainable consumption and production patterns. It generated a debate on private-sector collaboration approaches ranging from enabling eco-entrepreneurship to providing MSMEs with technical assistance on sustainable consumption and production and enhancing sustainable value chains – and how these can become more effective in the context of the inclusive green economy transition. The session was moderated by Mr. Alexander Charalambous of the SWITCH to Green facility, and there were four panellists, one each from the European Union, SWITCH-Asia, SWITCHMed and SWITCH Africa Green.

Ms. Chantal Marijnissen, Head of Unit C2 Environment, Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Wildlife, European Commission Directorate-General for Development Cooperation, provided an overview of the portfolio of inclusive, green economy European Union development cooperation initiatives, emphasizing the support available to the private sector through the SWITCH regional programmes.

Ms. Nour Kays, a SWITCHMed beneficiary, presented her win-win experience of partnering with the SWITCHMed programme, both as a switcher and an incubated green entrepreneur, emphasizing aspects that prove there is a business case for such partnerships.

Mr. James Mwaura Muiruri, a SWITCH Africa Green beneficiary, described the types of support he had received from the programme and its benefits for his business since the start of the project.

Mr.    Vivekanad    Mishra, a SWITCH-Asia beneficiary, explained the added value of engaging in the SWITCH-Asia programme for his business, highlighting the aspects that supported the decision to switch to green production.