EU

Egypt makes
the switch

  • To sustainable consumption and production for circular and green
    economies
  • From policy to policy implementation
  • National priorities: integrated community development; sustainable water
    management; sustainable energy applications; solid waste management

Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP)

The Egyptian Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment and the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) under the EU-funded SwitchMed programme, with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The plan is part of Egypt’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SCP-NAP (SDG12.1) addresses four priority sectors water, energy, agriculture, and municipal solid waste and was developed in Egypt through nationally owned multistakeholder processes. The SCP-NAP for Egypt was officially launched on April 18th, 2016 at a side event during the 6th special session of the African
Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Cairo, Egypt.

The National Action Plan in Egypt was based on the 2013 “Green Economy Scoping Study” that assessed the potential for a transition to a green economy and sustainable development. Building on this diagnosis, the Egyptian SCP National Action Plan is considered a significant milestone contributing to a continuum of knowledge accumulation for nationally integrating sustainability in the key economic sectors.  A multi-stakeholder and nationally-owned approach was chosen to include government, academia, private sector, civil society and international organizations to ensure its realistic reflection of Egypt’s actual socio-economic and environmental needs and aspirations.

The Action Plan includes 6 different programs and 28 detailed projects, presented by 13 different government institutions and specialized research centers.  The identified projects were selected based on their relativity and importance, practicality and the extent to which they support to Sustainable development.

Sectoral objectives and strategic goals:
The National Action Plan aims at achieving sustainable consumption and production by promoting the efficient allocation and use of water and energy resources, enhancing sustainable agriculture development as well as waste management, including prevention, reduction, recycling, reuse, and recovery. These orientations in the specified sectors will ultimately led to an equitable distribution of wealth, poverty reduction and an improved environment, health and human welfare.

  • Energy sector: Ensure sector sustainability by promoting both Energy Efficiency and the use of Renewable Energy;
  • Agriculture sector: Promote sustainable rural agricultural communities as part of the 1 million-feddan;
  • Water sector: Extend wastewater treatment for agricultural purposes:
  • Municipal solid waste sector: Develop an integrated solid waste management system in Egypt:

The action plan further intends to provide solutions for mainstreaming SCP policies nationally that facilitate the achievement of the SDG 12. The implementation of the national action plan mainstream sustainable consumption and production concept into Egypt’s overall sustainable development policy framework and gradually alters unsustainable consumption and production patterns towards more sustainable ones. Governance commitment and policy coherence are essential elements in this process.

A list of suggested prioritized actions to be undertaken by the government to facilitate SCP across sectors:

  • Create a coordinating mechanism to be attached to the Prime Minister’s Office;
  • Undertake a review of existing laws and regulations and market incentives and assess their impact on SCP;
  • Launch public awareness campaign and develop a long-term research and development (R&D) agenda on SCP;
  • Develop a capacity development program and integrate of SCP and green economy concept in the education curricula;
  • Provide a package of incentive measures that promote the engagement of the private sector;
  • Design trade policies that encourage the import and export of environment-friendly technologies and equipment;
  • Direct financial institutions to fund projects and investments, particularly by SMEs in the field of SCP and green economy.