Workshop on Eco-Industrial Parks Policy Framework Development

Industrial development plays a crucial role in Egypt’s sustainable development strategies and overall economic growth. With rising costs of raw materials, energy, and water, as well as growing importance of mitigating climate change impacts, ensuring sustainability and resource efficiency within factories and industrial parks has become vital for enhancing profitability and competitiveness in the industrial sector.

In this context, a capacity building workshop was organized by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI), was held on May 30, 2023 titled ” Eco-Industrial Parks Policy Framework Development”. The workshop presented the most important international policies for Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP) and success stories, and how to design and develop policies related to Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP). The workshop also addressed the main responsibilities of stakeholders from institutions and their roles in the governance of Industrial zones.

The workshop targeted officials and decision-makers from governmental organizations and authorities, senior management of industrial zones/parks developers and operators in addition to the industrial service providers and industry federations representatives to present the environmental, economic and social benefits and advantages of transforming into Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP).

The workshop presented the policies and laws regulating the sectors related to Eco-Industrial Parks in Egypt and presented the most important, barriers, gaps and interventions necessary for policy development.

The workshop was attended by officials and decision makers from government authorities entrusted with developing and implementing policies and strategies related to industrial development in Egypt, entities involved in planning and managing industrial zones, senior management of industrial zones/parks developers and operators, in addition to representatives of the industrial sector, service providers for the industrial sector, research centers and university representatives.

Representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Environment, the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, the Industrial Modernization Center, and the New Urban Communities Authority expressed that the shift towards Eco-Industrial Parks is an integral part of industrial development strategies in Egypt in general.

The workshop was held within GEIPP Egypt under the framework of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) in Developing and Transition Countries currently funded by Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by UNIDO in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI). The policy development component is implemented through a consulting alliance from Chemonics Egypt Consultants in cooperation with Weber Consulting (Germany). The project aims to demonstrate the benefits of EIP approaches in scaling up resource productivity and improving economic, environmental and social performances of businesses and thereby contributing to inclusive and sustainable industrial development.