Winter 2018 SwitchMed Magazine Photo credit: @anniespratt.com Photo credit: SwitchMed is an initiative that supports and connects stakeholders to scale up eco and social innovations. We are are We SwitchMed .4 .5 SwitchMed is an initiative that supports Morocco’s facts and scale-ups eco and social innovations and numbers The SwitchMed Programme was launched in 2013 by the European The TEST implementation approach has to date successfully demon- Population Geography & Economy Union to speed up the shift to sustainable consumption and production strated the profitability and effectiveness of introducing best practices • Life expectancy at birth: 74.29 years. • Terrestrial protected areas: 30.81 % in 2016 • Currency: Moroccan Dirham. patterns in the Southern Mediterranean, notably through the promo- and integrated management systems in terms of cost reduction, produc- • Population growth: 1.4% (2016). • Urban population growth: 2.162 % in 2016 • In the Drâa Valley there are 200 tion of circular economy approaches. The Programme aims at achiev- tivity increase and environmental performance, extending the expe- • Major Religions: Sunni Islam. • CO2 emissions: 1.7 (2014). kilometres of date palms. Dates are ing productive, circular and sharing economies in the Mediterranean rience gained to other industries in the region. UNIDO, together with • Form of government: Constitutional • Land boundaries: Algeria 1,900 km, harvested in October and are one of the by changing the way goods and services are consumed and produced so local partners, also promotes business partnerships between local busi- Monarchy. Western Sahara 444 km, Spain (Ceuta) main foodstuffs of the nomads. Even the that human development is decoupled from environmental degradation. nesses and EU Eco-Innovative companies, creating an area of shared • Capital: Rabat. 8 km, Spain (Melilla) 10.5 km. sheep are fed dates. The average date palm Its activities benefit 8 countries in the Southern Mediterranean: prosperity on the principles of a sustainable and inclusive socioeconom- • Population: 32,987,206. • Coastline: spans from the Mediterranean tree produces between 100 and 200 pounds Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. ic development. • Official Languages: Arabic, Berber, French Sea and Atlantic Ocean on the north and of dates in a year. Through policy development, demonstration activities and networking • Area: 172 Square Miles (447 km²). the west respectively. opportunities, SwitchMed supports and connects stakeholders to scale- United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan • Major Mountain Ranges: Atlas, Rif. • Tourist Arrivals in Morocco increased to ups eco and social and eco innovations The Programme supports policy (UN Environment/MAP) is a Regional Seas Programme under UNEPs • Major Rivers: Draa. 11,349,347 in 2017 from 10,331,731 in 2016. makers, eco-innovative small and medium sized enterprises, industries, umbrella that brings together the 21 Mediterranean neighbouring start-ups and entrepreneurs in the Southern Mediterranean countries, countries. MAP provides support to those countries in the implemen- which have identified job creation and natural resource protection as tation of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment priority issues that also contribute to their economic stability. and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean, the so-called Barcelona Sources: Economy and Demography in Morocco, Wikipedia, United Nations, The World Bank, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación & Atlasinfo.fr Convention. SwitchMed, which works with a wide range of stakeholders, is commit- ted to catalyse the market of sustainable products and services in the The Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Produc- PILOT PROJECTS Mediterranean via: tion (SCP/R AC) is one of the centres belonging to UN/MAP. It is appoint- • Capacity building in industry service providers targeting small and ed with the mandate from the Contracting Parties of the Convention to SwitchMed medium sized enterprises for resource efficiency improvements; promote Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Mediterra- • Trainings for start-ups and entrepreneurs to build skills in design, nean region. In order to accomplish that mission the center provides business plan, marketing and financing of sustainable products and knowledge, training, advice and networking opportunities to business- beneficiaries COCHEPA MARGAFRIQUE COFICAB PLASTEX services; es, entrepreneurs, financial agents, civil society organisations and gov- TANGER • Engagement with policy makers to establish a regulatory and policy ernments that work to provide Mediterranean's society with innovative in Morocco COMPAGNIE framework to boost the market for sustainable products and services; services and products that are good for the people and for the planet. ENRD2 • Empowerment of citizens and civil society organisations to lead so- The center provides technical assistance to the Contracting Parties CHÉRIFIENNE DE • 4 Pilot projects from policy-makers CHOCOLATERIE GHARB PAPIER cially innovative solutions addressing environmental challenges; to the Barcelona Convention to adopt SCP as integrated approach to de- (AIGUEBELLE) ET CARTON • An Action Network of stakeholders to link with similar initiatives and couple development from pollution and environmental and implements (GPC) • 22 Industries from the food sector MUTRONIC CIPA networks, exchange information and to scale-up current activities. pilot projects in four countries: Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. joined MED TEST II TECHNOSOLARS Likewise SCP/RAC supports green entrepreneurs and change makers SwitchMed is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Devel- driving eco and social innovations in the Mediterranean by providing • 8 Incubated green entrepreneurs GREEN opment Organisation (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Pro- training, technical and financial advice, jointly with a network of strate- AMA CAMPING SERVICES ET gramme Mediterranean Action Plan (UN Environment/MAP), the Re- gic local partners and local trainers. Moreover, SCP/RAC works closely DETERGENT FARM TERROIR • 2 Civil Society Organisations gional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production with financial agents to establish mechanism that enable entrepreneurs OFFSET (SCP/RAC) and the UN Environment’s Economy Division. Each of the and small companies that provide SCP solutions access to funding. SCP/ POLYPLAST implementing organisations brings its specialised experience and tools RAC also hosts the Networking Facility that contributes to the visibility, KAPACHIM to partner with the eight countries on activities that span policy deve- effectiveness and scaling up of the SwitchMed activities. AFRIQUE CABLES lopment, capacity building, business support services, demonstration activities and networking. UN Environment’s Economy Division supports the development of SCP PILOT National Action Plans and provides advisory services and follows up PROJECT TAXI PNUR The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) closely the implementation of the demonstration pilot projects of four NATUREX SOCIAL supports the development of green industry and sustainable production countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Palestine. PLASTIC ZOLIMO- in the southern Mediterranean. It does so through a comprehensive ap- UN Environment’s Economy Division works closely with the Na- 4 LIFE FELLAH proach that both presents the business case of resource efficiency to in- tional Focal Points (NFP), who are key actors in the SwitchMed and play PRO dustries, and helps service providers increase their capacity to deliver a specific role in implementing the policy activities at national and dis- VMM (VINAIGRERIE MOUTARDERIE DU TUBE & sustainable production services matching the industry needs. In addi- seminating the results in their respective countries. Focal points have PROFIL MAROC) BIOCHAR tion, UNIDO is cooperating with a number of national institutions ad- been appointed by the national governments. In most countries a duo of MAROC dressing policies on sustainable production. Focal points – one from Ministry of Environment and one from Minis- At the start of the project, the UNIDO designed TEST methodolo- try of Industry. gy is delivered to the service providers and local professionals. In col- laboration with the UNIDO TEST expert team, the service providers SwitchMed Programme is funded by the European Union. ATREFIL identify and select companies to take part in the TEST project, based on PIF the companies potential for improvements and top management com- mitment. Crucially, the company staff also receive the TEST training, BBM (BEST BISCUITS MAROC) enabling them to implement the technical measures and management ATTAGHLIF solutions identified by the service provider. Their active participation in the training and in the implementation of the project ensures the sus- TRIA (ARZAK) SIFITEX tainability of all identified actions at company level. The lines and arrows drawn might not point to the exact locations, at it is only an estimation. .6 .7 Table of contents 56 7 8 – 21 22 – 33 34 – 55 56 – 63 64 – 75 76 – 83 84 – 87 Support to Enabling a green Green Civil Society Enabling access Business Networks Networking policy-makers growth for Entrepreneurship Organisations to finance & Intermediaries Facility industries empowerment Photo credit: @Richard Allaway @Richard Photo credit: 1 Engagement with policy makers to