On July 5, EU SWITCH-Asia will be launched in Kyrgyzstan, to introduce the programme in Central Asia, discuss challenges and opportunities related to SCP and define its work plan for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for the next years.

The European Union launched the SWITCH-Asia Programme in 2007 to support Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) and the transition to green economy in Asia.

The programme was extended to Central Asia in 2019, the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic said on June 28.

The event will be co-organized by the SWITCH-Asia SCP Facility, the European Commission, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO), and concerned European Union Delegations. Representatives of national governments, EU Delegations, United Nations agencies, and key stakeholders (business, academia, NGOs, MSMEs, among others) will contribute to the interactive discussions on the importance and necessity for promoting SCP patterns in Central Asia, in order to support the five targeted countries’ transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and circular economy.

The launch event is taking place back-to-back with the EU-Central Asia Forum and Ministerial Meeting (6-7 July), where the new EU-Central Asia Strategy will be presented. This Strategy includes a specific point on cooperation in the field of the environment, water and the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The urgent need to change from unsustainable consumption and production patterns to a green economy and sustainable development is increasingly being recognized. This shift requires adequate policies, implementation mechanisms with appropriate enabling capacity, awareness raising and education, together with innovation and responsibility.