WHEN: 20-21 May 2024 I TIME: 8:00 - 18:30 (Almaty) I WHERE: Hotel Royal Tulip Almaty, Kazakhstan
Background
On 20-21 May 2024, the SWITCH-Asia programme will hold its Steering Committee Meeting and 6th Annual Conference. 130 representatives from Europe and the entire Asia-Pacific region will gather together to take stock of the progress to date and discuss future plans. Participants will include key stakeholders from ongoing grant-funded projects across Asia, Central Asia, Mongolia, and China. Government officials from 42 eligible countries, along with selected regional organisations, partners, and experts specialising in SCP across various sectors, will also join the event. On 22 May, a dedicated meeting will explore policies and practices aimed at fostering green, circular and low-carbon development in Central Asia.
SWITCH-Asia is a programme funded by the European Union (EU). Active since 2007, it seeks to promote Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the region. Through its 2019 EU Green Deal and Global Gateway, the EU has further committed to supporting the transition of countries to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and circular economy. This has also strengthened the knowledge basis and momentum of the programme in supporting Asian countries’ SCP commitments as part of SDG 12 and the Paris Agreement.
The programme consists of two components:
The Grant Component
Managed by the Directorate-General for International Partnerships of the European Commission, this component targets micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs). They are addressed through business organisations, research institutes and universities, and NGOs and consumer organisations willing to test and adopt more sustainable production and consumption processes, and improve the sustainability of their products. Under this scheme, partnerships are established involving both organisations from the EU and from the region. The goal of this component is to facilitate the replication of sustainable production and consumption practices in MSMEs in the region. One hundred forty three projects were funded in the Asian region over a period of 15 years, implemented by consortia of Asian and European organisations.
In Central Asia specifically, six grant projects (PERETO, SET, REAP, MOST, GREEN TOUR, SUSTOUKA) have been implemented, focusing primarily on the tourism and agri-food sectors.
The Policy Support Component (PSC)
The PSC provides direct support to regional organisations, national governments and related implementing agencies in charge of policies and regulatory frameworks relevant to SCP. This is done in the form of on-demand advisory on scaling up SCP policy and implementation as well as through creating a platform for knowledge exchange, and building capacities of regional institutions. All activities rely on the strong engagement of partner countries and organisations in co-creating the requested policies, processes and other deliverables. Projects by the SWITCH-Asia PSC benefit several governments at once through a multi-country or regional approach. Managed by the EU Directorate General International Partnerships (DG INTPA), the PSC’s activities are implemented by GOPA and NIRAS.
Meetings Calendar
Event |
Date |
|
PART I. Programme Steering Committee with EU Delegations and National Focal Points |
20 May (morning) |
|
PART II. Internal meetings with EU Delegations (closed doors) |
20 May (morning) |
|
PART III. Meeting of SWITCH-Asia Grant Projects (parallel session) |
20 May (morning) |
|
PART IV. Annual Conference |
20 May (afternoon) 21 May (full day) |
