The Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) programme has been established by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Please visit the UNCTAD SMEP project page here.

The SMEP Programme aims to generate cutting-edge scientific evidence and to improve existing knowledge on the environmental health and socio-economic impacts of selected manufacturing sectors across target countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Through the staggered calls below, the programme will also identify technology-based solutions to address the most pressing environmental health issues associated with manufacturing in focus countries and invest in developing business processes and systems to promote the uptake of identified pollution control solutions.

(i)             Piloting technology solutions that address manufacturing pollution in East Africa (in progress)   

(ii)            Market-aligned interventions for cleaner production in the textiles industry (in progress)

(iii)          Pollution mitigation interventions in the tanneries sector (upcoming)

In addition, the programme addresses plastic pollution and supports the development of material substitution and biodegradation options. FCDO has committed £24.6 million to deliver research and related interventions to meet programme objectives. The SMEP programme was commissioned in mid-2019 and will run until the end of 2024.