Participants from the SwitchMed industry pilot projects in Morocco, exchanged on important lessons learnt from global projects on the circular economy, along with attendees from the EU-funded SWITCH2CE project and DG INTPA.
Ms. Roberta De Palma, chief technical advisor of the SwitchMed initiative at the UNIDO Industrial Resource Efficiency unit, mentioned that SwitchMed, co-funded by the EU, has now become one of the most relevant resource efficiency initiatives in the region, building local capacities and demonstrating the potential for resource-efficient and circular business models in industry. During its second phase, implementer UNIDO focuses on closed-loop industrial systems that can produce cleaner and more valuable products and materials within the plastic and textile sectors. Fatima-Zohra Alaoui, General Manager of AMITH, the Moroccan Association of Textile and Apparel Industries shared that AMITH recently presented the new vision for the Moroccan T&C industry to lead Moroccan manufacturers down the path of social and environmental sustainability.
Bernard Crabbe, from INTPA UNIT F2, highlighted that both the Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan have strong international dimensions – with EU’s ambition to lead the green and circular transition on the continent– and to work with partners around the world to promote the transition beyond its borders – mobilizing all the instruments of our external toolbox: trade, green diplomacy, tech and financing – and last but not least our external investment agenda under the EFSD+. The Green and Circular Economy have a key priority of the EU’s international partnerships.
Alexander Granberg, Sustainability Project Specialist, BESTSELLER, Textiles reported from the pilot project of the SWITCH to Circular Value Chain project. The EU co-funded efforts cooperates with multinationals to accelerate the transition to a circular economy across a global value chain.
Mr. Mark Draeck, chief technical adviser of the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains project and Ms. Malena Sell-Myllyoja – Government of Finland completed the panel.
The session at the World Circular Eocnomy Forum was organized by the EU co-funded programmes Switch to Circular Value Chains and SwitchMed.