Events

Biogas is a type of alternative energy source that is naturally produced from the decomposition of organic waste, thereby reducing the harmful health impacts of waste ending up in landfills or sewage sites. Ghana serves as role model for other SWITCH Africa Green countries for integrated waste management, especially when it comes to biogas technology. 

One of the key recommendations that emerged from Burkina Faso’s 2018 National Policy Dialogue was the need to develop a national strategy and action plan that promotes sustainable tourism. In that context, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of the Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change, in collaboration with other ministries, committed to transforming the tourism sector so that it better integrates the three components of sustainable development – the environment, economy, and community. 

In 2018, the government of Burkina Faso, along with the help of SWITCH Africa Green, began the process of developing a National Action Plan on Integrated Waste Management. This was done as part of the Country Implementation Plan and in line with the vision of transitioning to circular economy. The plan aims to, amongst other things, propose solutions for systemic change that generates new business opportunities and economic, environmental and social benefits for its citizen.

The manufacturing sector in Uganda covers a wide range of activities, including the processing of raw materials into more valuable products. Therefore, a significant overlap occurs between manufacturing and other sectors, including construction, agriculture, forestry, handicrafts, and clean energy. The core concept behind green manufacturing is developing environmentally friendly production methods and manufacturing processes that limit harm to nature while simultaneously boosting the economy. 

The government of Uganda recognizes the importance of tourism for overall economic and social development. Tourism can boost economic revenue, reduce poverty through job creation, develop infrastructure, generate a sense of cultural exchange between nationals and foreigners, and help realize the Second National Development Plan and Uganda’s Vision 2040 – both designed to strengthen the country’s competitiveness. 

The agricultural sector in South Africa is a vital for economic development and the creation of a green economy despite its contribution of just 2 percent to the country’s total gross domestic product. That’s because agriculture indirectly feeds the national economy since almost 70 percent of agricultural output gets utilized as intermediate products in manufacturing. 

Prior to 2018, Uganda did not have a public procurement policy that promoted sustainable development. Sustainable public procurement, also known as Green Public Procurement, uses the government’s purchasing power to choose goods, services and infrastructure that are environmentally friendly based on the value of their entire lifecycle. The policy’s goal is to create a paradigm shift in the public sector so that it facilitates socioeconomic development, reduces harmful impacts to the environment, and supports achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The EU-funded SWITCH Africa Green Programme supports African countries in their transition to inclusive green economy and in promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practises and patterns. UN Environment, in collaboration with UNDP and UNOPS, have been implementing phase I of the programme since 2014 in six countries across Africa: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Uganda.

The Second Switch Africa Green Regional Networking Forum was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on 3-4 October 2018 and brought together SWITCH Africa Green partners and stakeholders to share lessons and experiences; build synergy and complementarity; and explore opportunities for scaling up and replicating successful interventions in the programme. The theme of the forum was “Innovative Solutions for Accelerating Africa’s Transition towards Inclusive Green Economy through Sustainable Consumption and Production practices”.

Uganda has put in place an elaborate system of institutions, laws and regulations to ensure the prudent use of public resources. Public sector procurement is at the centre of the way public money is spent and hence plays a pivotal role in a country's public financial management system. Its importance is derived from its role as the vehicle by which typically more than 55% of the budget implementation is managed in the country. Budgets get translated into goods and services in large part through the workings of the public sector procurement system.

Organised by the SWITCH to Green Facility, in collaboration with three SWITCH partner countries (Uganda, Thailand and Jordan), the SWITCH Regional Programmes (Asia, Mediterranean and Africa), and the One Planet Network, the event discussed the importance of Sustainable Co

The Burkina Faso SWITCH Africa green networking forum was held on June 4, 2018, at the Ramada Hotel in Ouagadougou. The Honorable Batio Nestor Bassiere, Minister of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change; Mr Jérôme Compaoré, representative of the Prime minister of Burkina Faso; Jean Lamy Charge d’Affaires of the European Union in Burkina Faso and Dr. Patrick Mwesigye Regional programme coordinator, UN Environment officiated the meeting.

The SWITCH Africa Green Programme Survey was carried out in 2018 to establish how the micro, small and medium enterprises have greened their businesses as a result of the different project interventions namely: uptake of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) and green business practices in agriculture, manufacturing, waste management and tourism sectors. The survey collected relevant data from the Programme’s beneficiaries in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Uganda.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy, accounting for 24% of gross domestic product directly and another 27% indirectly. In addition to driving Kenya's economy, the sector is a means of livelihood for most Kenyans. Kenya Vision 2030, the country's development programme for the period 2008–2030, identifies agriculture as a key sector for achieving annual economic growth of 10%.

SWITCH Africa Green held the Uganda National Networking Forum on 14 and 15 September 2017 in Kampala under the theme “Sustaining Uganda’s resources through promoting green business production”. The key objective of the forum was to foster open sharing of information and knowledge among stakeholders on the transition towards an inclusive green economy. The forum brought together about 150 participants, including government officials, members of parliament, development partners, academics, researchers, and representatives of civil society, cultural institutions and the private sector.

27 July 2017 - The Kenyan Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, brought together various stakeholders in the green economy to launch the Green Economy Strategy Implementation Plan (GESIP), at the same time holding the SWITCH Africa Green National Networking Forum in Nairobi under the theme “Accelerating the transition to an inclusive green economy in Kenya”.

The aim of the event was to:

South Africa held its SWITCH Africa Green National Networking Forum on 28 June 2017, with the Department of Environmental Affairs as the host. The approximately 50 programme stakeholders participated in the forum, including members of the National Technical Coordination Committee, representatives of the grantees, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) beneficiaries, United Nations agencies and the delegation of the European Union.

Under the auspices of the 16th African Ministerial Conference on Environment session (AMCEN 16), Ministers of Environment from the six SWITCH Africa Green pilot countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda) discussed the enabling environment for green business development in Africa.

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 Mauritius National Networking Forum was held at the Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd (BPML) Cyber Tower 1 – Ebène Cybercity from 10 – 12 May, 2017. About 70 participants from government, civil society and the private sector attended the first day of the event.

The SWITCH Africa Green National Networking Forum in Mauritius was held in two parts. One meeting was held at the Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd. Cyber Tower 1 – Ebène Cybercity from 10 to 12 May 2017. The other meeting took place at the Cultural and Leisure Centre, Mont Plaisir, Rodrigues Island, on 8 and 9 May 2017. Together, these meetings attracted about 170 participants from various sectors, such as government, development partners, civil society and the private sector, including SWITCH Africa Green grantees and beneficiaries.

SWITCH Africa Green convened about 80 stakeholders from six African countries for a regional policy dialogue in Accra on 23 and 24 March 2017. The objective of the dialogue was to create a common understanding of the policy landscape and enable countries to strengthen their institutions with the appropriate tools and legal instruments for green business development in the four SWITCH Africa Green priority sectors: agriculture, integrated waste management, manufacturing and tourism.

SWITCH Africa Green held the Ghana National Networking Forum at the Accra City Hotel on 21 and 22 March 2017. The forum brought together about 150 participants from the private sector, civil society and government. Its main objectives were to discuss the opportunities, challenges and barriers faced by the private sector in transitioning to an inclusive, low-carbon green economy promoting sustainable consumption and production practices and patterns in Ghana.

The Kenya SWITCH Africa Green grants were officially awarded to the successful applicants at a well-attended ceremony held on 16 November 2015 at the Boma Inn hotel in Nairobi. The grants were presented by Mr. Hjordis Ogendo, Head of Social Affairs and Environment, Delegation of the European Union to Kenya, and Mr. Hezekiah Okeyo, Director, Vision 2030, Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development.