The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to present results from the regional EU-funded SwitchMed MED TEST III project, on March 6, 2024, from 9:30 to 12:30 at the Movenpick Hotel Beirut.
Beirut, 06 March 2024 – Since 2019, the MED TEST III project has aimed to address resource challenges and promote a circular economy perspective relevant to the situation for industries in Lebanon.
Implemented under the lead of UNIDO, the MED TEST III project in Lebanon, held in partnership with the Ministry of Industry (MoI) and the Ministry of Environment (MoE), and in collaboration with the Association of the Lebanese Industrialists and the Association of North Metn Industrialists, has unveiled remarkable results from pilot projects that promoted the uptake of resource-efficient production practices. The project emphasized the importance of integrating circular economy principles into industrial operations.
The project has targeted sectors vital to Lebanon’s economy, namely the food and beverages and chemicals sectors and covered complementing sectors from the value chain like the plastic, and printing sectors. The project conducted industry demonstrations to identify and implement resource efficiency measures. These measures, ranging from water and energy savings to material efficiency, hold the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact while yielding considerable economic benefits, including annual savings in production costs of around €3.4 million.
“The SwitchMed program in Lebanon has supported industries from various sectors, identifying over 250 resource efficient and cleaner production measures that, when implemented, will enable the companies to achieve economic savings of approximately 5 million euros with a payback period of about 1.4 years”.
“UNIDO, with our partners, will continue to support the resilience of the industrial sector and contribute to Lebanon’s economic recovery through such initiatives that will further mainstream sustainable and circular business models, to create a more sustainable and inclusive development” Mr. Emmanuel Kalenzi, UNIDO Representative to Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
“Our project has been instrumental in promoting resource efficiency and cleaner production, as a strategy for companies to reduce consumption of energy, water, and raw materials, ultimately aiming to achieve more, with less. Indeed, the capacity to make better use of limited resources, including financial resources, is key for achieving long-term resilience within the industry.
The European Union reaffirms its commitment to promoting sustainability principles. However, our support can only achieve its intended objectives if it is backed by the implementation of economic reforms and the proper enforcement of existing environmental legislation by the Government and local authorities.” EU Representative, Ms. Alessia Squarcella, Deputy Head of Cooperation at EU Delegation to Lebanon
“The Association of Industrialists always seeks what benefits the industry, especially and the Lebanese economy in general, through participation in such programs and companies with international organizations. Here, we extend our gratitude to the European Union for funding this program and several others that contribute to the development of the industry and the promotion of the green economy.” – Mr. Ibrahim Mallah, Lebanese Industrialists Association
“The MED TEST project is one of the international projects that has contributed to raising awareness among industrialists and environmental experts about the importance of clean and eco-friendly industries through practical experiments, especially in terms of reducing operating costs, reducing the quantity of raw materials used, and improving the production process. This project is what industrialists currently need in light of the economic crisis facing the country.” Mr. Bassam Sabbagh, Representing H.E. the Minister of Environment
“Leading the SwitchMed program, and its subsequent expansion through the 2Circular project funded by the European Union, are priorities of the Ministry of Industry as they support sustainable industrial development and enhance the competitive capacity and resilience of a key industrial sector by promoting the adoption of resource-efficient practices and cleaner production in industrial companies, thus promoting the transition of the industry to circular business models in Lebanon.” – Mrs. Chantal Akel, Acting Director-General of the Ministry of Industry
In addition, the MED TEST III project has catalyzed innovative solutions in the dairy sector through a whey valorization initiative. This initiative collaborated with industry partners and academia, resulting in the development of three new whey-based products that offer cost-effective alternatives for Lebanese dairy companies. The success of these initiatives fosters sustainability within the industry and stimulates market innovation and competitiveness.