Events

The Government of Uganda (GoU) is committed to the realization of the Goals and targets enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thence, the GoU has integrated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the National Development frameworks, including the Uganda Vision 2040, the Second National Development Plan (NDP II & III under development), and the Sector Development Plans.

Implementation of the SWITCH Africa Green Programme started in March 2014 and Ghana has implemented several activities under the 3 components of the programme (Policy support, Green Business Development and Networking Facility). A National Implementation Plan has been developed which identified areas such as policies, capacity building, regulatory frameworks, incentive structures, tax and market-based instruments, awareness creation, etc. A synthesis of the implementation plan which narrows down on the priority areas where SWITCH Africa Green programme can intervene has been developed.

Rodrigues is a small autonomous outer island of the  Republic of Mauritius with limited agricultural land. Household farms provide the bulk of agricultural production through food crops and animal production. However, a significant proportion of these products are undervalued or go to waste because of poor post-harvest handling and management practices, low capacity to invest in appropriate packaging, transport and storage infrastructure, and poor marketing. 

Animal manure serves as an important fertilizer in organic and sustainable soil management. The manure can improve soil quality, boost nutrient uptake in plants, improve water quality and reduce carbon emissions. As food security and crop production gain importance in Mauritius, its hard to underestimate the importance of healthy soil in improving the availability of food and achieving food security.

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.

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.

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 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.

The e-learning course “Introduction to SCP in Africa” is geared towards policymakers in Africa who want to advance sustainable consumption and production in their countries. 

After the welcome speech by Mr Jean Carlo Botsar, Departmental Head of the Commission of Environment, Forestry, Tourism, Fisheries and Marine Parks, the workshop was officially opened by the Commissioner of Environment, Mr Richard Payendee. The commissioner gave assurance of the full support of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly to the implementation of the SWITCH Africa Green project in Rodrigues. He expressed his appreciation of the fact that the national projects being implemented in Rodrigues were in line with the Regional Government’s objective of making Rodrigues an ecological island.

The Mauritius National Stakeholder Workshop was held on 17 and 18 March 2016 at the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Port Louis.

Mr. Simon Springett, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, delivering opening remarks. Photo | SWITCH Africa Green

The NTCC meeting was convened at the Protea Hotel Fire and Ice in Menlyn Pretoria on 10th March 2016 and chaired by the Mr. Tlou Ramaru, SWITCH Africa Green National Focal Point from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). The meeting had about 20 participants including the EU, DEA, CSIR, NCPC, DAFF, EDD, DTI and DST.

The main objectives of the meeting were to:

The SWITCH Africa Green National Stakeholder Workshop, held on 2 March 2016 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, was officially opened by Mr. Rasmane Ouedraogo, Director of the Department of Environmental Policies, Coordinator of the Poverty-Environment Initiative, Permanent Secretary to the National Council on Environment and Sustainable Development (CONEDD) and the SWITCH Africa Green national focal point for Burkina Faso.

The SWITCH Africa Green National Stakeholder Workshop in Uganda was held on 19 and 20 November 2015 at the Hotel Africana in Kampala. The workshop was officially opened by Mr. Arnold Waiswa, Director of Environmental Monitoring and Compliance at the National Environment Management Authority, who delivered a statement on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda.

The Kenya National Stakeholder workshop was held on 16-17 November 2015 at the BOMA Inn Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the various parties in the project and linking the three project components, the agenda of the workshop also included the grants award ceremony as well as the validation of the country implementation report. Participants comprised of members of the NTCC, the grantees, the partners as well as some of the MSMEs in the four SAG projects in Kenya. Development partners and EU were also represented in this meeting.

Participants at the SWITCH Africa Green National Stakeholder Workshop held in Accra on 5–6 November 2015 pause for a group photo. Photo | SWITCH Africa Green