Following the elaboration of the Regional Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the Mediterranean during the first half of 2015, CAD has been chosen by the Sustainable Consumption and Production Regional Activity Center (SCP/RAC) from UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) to identify innovative initiatives of Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Maghreb (Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria).
The project is a component of the Switch Med process, which was funded by the EU to transform environmental habits in the Mediterranean to make them more clean and sustainable. SCP is one of its component and covers various sectors that have large potential for improvement:
- Tourism: while massive tourism is generally the norm in the Mediterranean, an environmentally responsible alternative might be proposed through ecotourism, sustainable procurement or waste management
- Agriculture and agri-industry: awareness raising on sustainable purchases, resource efficiency and recycling of organic waste, are some ways this sector can become cleaner
- Goods manufacturing: with many firms installed in the North of Africa, eco design, concentration on life cycle of products or waste management will be key to limit the impact on the environment
- Construction and mobility: coastal areas are usually facing massive construction projects, and better practices such as slow speed zones, sustainable constructions and locations will be necessary to make sure this sector becomes greener
Sectors covered by SCP are usually interconnected, meaning that improvements in one of them will have positive impacts on other national sectors. The Mediterranean basin is shared by many countries with different rules and levels of development. However, the sea is their common denominator, and each one of them should be responsible to take care and protect it as its impact is for all: pollution in the west may harm fishes in the east and the other way round. Moreover, coastal areas are privileged spaces with an important economic weight for the Mediterranean countries. Switch Med is about being conscious of this shared legacy and responsibility.
The identification process is based on the mapping of the most relevant local partners, e.g. Centres of Innovation, professional networks, entrepreneurs association, with whom CAD is working in order to identify the most appropriate initiatives. The final selection will be based on projects that combine a high component of innovation in terms of sustainability with economic solidity and a strong potential for replicability. CAD will finally work jointly with the selected projects on an action plan for implementation with SCPRAC.
