(Background image credits: Nicholas Murphy)

Throughout their cooperation, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Government of Japan have sought to create inclusive and sustainable economies in developing countries that are more resilient when facing climate change, pandemics, inequalities (particularly those faced by women and youth), and other global environmental challenges.

As direct responses to the TICAD7 Yokohama Action plan, especially PILLAR II: “Deepening sustainable and resilient society” and Focus area of 2.3 “Enhance resilience against natural disasters exacerbated by climate change and promote sustainable and environmentally friendly urban development”, the Organization will introduce two Japanese-funded UNIDO initiatives during TICAD8, to promote plastic circular economy to mitigate plastic pollution, and to promote climate innovation and partnership for transition towards a deep decarbonization of society.

Session 1: Partnering for Africa's challenge on plastic pollution

UNIDO addresses plastic leakage to the environment, including marine environment, by promoting circular economy practices in industry[1]: through policy suggestions, technical assistance to industry, including capacity development and technology transfer, and awareness building to develop an enabling environment. 

The Organization’s work involves industry along plastic value chains including production, consumption, post consumption, waste management, and recycling as designing products should take into consideration of recyclability, end of life disposal, and sustainability. Currently, with funding from the Government of Japan, UNIDO has been implementing several projects to promote plastic circular economy practices in Africa; this session will introduce cases from Africa and Japan on how governments and industry can promote sustainable lifecycle management of single-use plastics to mitigate plastic pollution.

Session 2: Promoting climate innovation and partnership for transition towards a deep decarbonization of society

UNIDO started a new decarbonization project in African countries to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions from industrial companies by enhancing capacities for long-term decarbonization modelling and planning at the macro level, and by facilitating effective partnerships at the micro level involving firms from Japan and the beneficiary countries to apply appropriate climate technology and innovation.

To enhance long-term decarbonization capacities, the Organization identifies priority decarbonization projects that are scalable and that show - in a quantitative manner through modeling analysis - the effective policy options and technologies as well as the potential of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) for identified technologies: it is expected that, by capturing suitable sites and potential of spreading specified technologies, national policies can be developed and reinforced to realize decarbonized societies by 2050. To facilitate effective partnerships, UNIDO launched a new JCM scheme to provide grants as co-financing for the implementation of investment projects; as such, and to build a deep decarbonization of Africa, Session 2 will provide information to identify priority decarbonization technologies and the potential investments as well information on benefits of participating and partnering in the JCM.

Programme:

Venue: Zoom Webinar

Date and Time:

Session 1: 25 August 2022 from 10:00 to 11:15 (CEST)

Session 2: 25 August 2022 from 11:20 to 12:30 (CEST)

To register for the two sessions, please go to:

https://unido.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ODlQD_rDTlelz_f4vovHdw