Background

Under the EaP GREEN, UNIDO implements a regional Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Demonstration Programme in the six EaP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). These national demonstrations aim to implement RECP in enterprises and other organizations in the agro food, chemical and construction materials’ sectors as a means to put the green economy into practice. Global experiences, including some from within the region, show that implementation of the RECP is generally beneficial to enterprises, environment and climate, community and society at all.

The UNIDO activities will strengthen (and where necessary) create capacity of so-called RECP Service Providers which assist enterprises and government with RECP implementation. Such RECP Service Provider could be a National Cleaner Production Centre or Programme, such as the ones operational in Ukraine (http://recpc.kpi.ua/) and the Republic of Moldova (www.ncpp.md). It is foreseen that the RECP service providers to be strengthened and supported by UNIDO in collaboration with UNEP under the EaP GREEN Programme will gradually qualify for membership in the global RECP network (www.recpnet.org) in order to benefit from the resources, knowledge and experiences in the Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asia region and, where appropriate, globally.

Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP)

RECP is the continuous application of an integrated preventive environmental strategy to processes, products and services to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the environment. It specifically works to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development in an integrated manner, by catalyzing: Production Efficiency through optimization of the productive use of natural resources (materials, energy and water) by enterprises and other organizations; Environmental Management through minimization of the impact on environment and nature, by preventing the generation of waste and emissions and improving the management and productive use of chemicals in enterprises and other organizations; and Human Development through minimization of risks to people and communities from enterprises and other organizations and supporting their own development.

Objectives and activities

The UNIDO intervention includes three activity clusters, to be implemented in all six EaP countries:

1. Setting up human and institutional capacity for RECP service delivery, through such activities as: training of and coaching of national experts, awareness raising at national and regional levels, and sharing of knowledge and peer learning among national RECP experts;
2. Implementation, dissemination and replication of RECP methods and techniques in enterprises, through such activities as in depth RECP assessments, enterprise coaching and widespread promotion of good practices and their benefits; and
3. Supporting transfer and deployment of appropriate technology, through such activities as technology gap analysis, technology sourcing and business and investment planning.

 The UNIDO component under the EaP GREEN is aligned with the global UNIDO-UNEP RECP Programme (www.unido.org/cp), and is co-financed by the Government of Slovenia, the Austrian Development Bank and UNIDO.