An agreement was signed on Monday between the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the NGO Nusaned to kickstart a collaboration on pilot projects in Lebanon aiming to introduce sustainability for local businesses.
This comes within the SwitchMed II initiative, which is funded by the European Union, “to provide support mechanisms to countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean to switch to sustainable consumption and production patterns,” according to a statement by UNEP.
The agreement encompasses a series of environmental-friendly starting with restaurants, notably in Mar Mikhael and Gemmayze, and which will also favor them economically.
A Circular Economy model will be designed to diverge plastics from landfills and transform food waste into compost.
“The projects will engage local communities to raise awareness and spark behavioral change by ensuring that waste is kept to a minimum […] and the regeneration of natural systems,” the statement explained.
According to Ghaida Nawam, the President of Nusaned, the projects will be undertaken in partnership with the local community and the restaurants which the organization has supported in the aftermath of the Beirut Blast.
She noted that these restaurants believe in the organization “as advocates of change for a cleaner and healthier environment.”
From his side, the UNEP Representative and Regional Director for West Asia, Sami Dimassi, stated, “Collaborating with dedicated local organizations and implementing projects with young and vibrant teams, is essential to establish sustainable and long-lasting impacts.”
“We want this project to create a ripple effect, here and across the region, to engage as many stakeholders as possible and inspire the policy action,” he said.
