Regional EU-Asia cooperation programme about environment and economic growth that focus on sustainable production and modernisation of industrial infrastructures, to start with SMEs.
Asian Countries involved: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. Organisations from Hong Kong, Macau, Chinese Taipei, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore can participate as associates.
Objectives
- Promote sustainable production (i.e. development of less polluting and more resource efficient (energy, water, raw materials) products, processes and services)
- Promote sustainable consumption patterns and behaviour in the Asia region, through an improved understanding and strengthened cooperation between Europe and Asia, notably by mobilizing the private sector, i.e. SMEs, retailers, producer and consumer organisations, along with relevant public sector authorities
- Contribute to a transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and circular economy
Priorities
- Reinforce capacity of implementing line ministries and sub-national agencies to promote SCP and to coordinate their portfolios related to SCP practices from different fields
- Support formulation and implementation of national policies on SCP by Asian governments on a demand basis
- Contribute to the overall effectiveness, sustainability and impact of the different programme components, inter alia via ensuring coordination of and communication between them
- Increase awareness on SCP and knowledge distilled from the projects for wider replication and links established with global SCP actions in other regions towards promoting an inclusive green economy
- Increase interactions between SMEs/MSMEs and financial intermediaries (access to finance)
- Enhance policy dialogue on SCP in Asia (national and regional), inter-alia via support to the policy advocacy component at the regional level
Financed activities
- Promote the use of environmentally friendly technologies and practices
- Promote a change in consumption of less environmentally damaging products and services
- Reinforce and Implement legal environment and safety instruments
- Develop and apply effective economic instruments that enhance sustainable consumption and production
