Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme

Manufacturing Pollution

SMEP grantees make their mark at the 3rd Africa Waste is Wealth Summit

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The third edition of the Africa Waste is Wealth Summit (AWWS III), held in June 2026, brought together a broad cross-section of stakeholders from across Africa – government agencies, private sector actors, UN bodies, financiers, researchers, and innovators – united by a common agenda: transforming waste from a problem into an economic and environmental opportunity. […]

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Used Textiles in Practice: Trade, Impacts and Development Pathways

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Event Details Date: 23 June 2026Time: 18:30-19:30 CESTVenue: Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), Switzerland International trade in used textiles plays an important role in supporting textile circularity by extending the life of garments, reducing pressure on disposal systems, and supplying affordable clothing to consumers in many developing countries. At the same time, concerns about textile

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From climate ambition to decent work: what just transition means in practice

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Climate action is accelerating. Governments, businesses and investors are looking to circular economy models, cleaner production and green industries as part of the transition to a more sustainable future. But what kind of work is being created in this transition? At COP30, countries agreed to establish a Just Transition Mechanism. This has been welcomed as an opportunity

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Just transitions in manufacturing: integrating human rights and environmental sustainability

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The SMEP Programme has teamed up with the Ethical Trading Initiative – Join us on 19 May 2026 from 10:00-11:00 (BST) for  Just transitions in manufacturing: integrating human rights and environmental sustainability, the next webinar in the ETI insights series featuring lessons learnt from the SMEP Programme. This webinar has now ended. You can access a recording of the webinar here.

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Oil shocks ripple through plastics, but trade barriers hold back their greener alternatives

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Oil price shocks reach far beyond the pump: into the plastic and synthetic fibres woven through global trade. Yet material substitutes, derived from agricultural residues and renewable biomass, already produced in developing countries, remain constrained by trade rules, standards and market access. © UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)/Maria Durleva | Plastic nurdles, small pellets made from fossil fuels or recycled plastics, used as the raw material

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Advancing Inclusive Cleaner Production in the Nairobi Rivers Basin: Where Cleaner Production Meets Inclusion, Transforming Work and Safety

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The Kenya National Cleaner Production Centre (KNCPC), in partnership with Fintech Frontiers and Kanku Kenya Ltd, is supporting 26 businesses operating along the Nairobi Rivers Basin, with implementing interventions that reduce industrial pollution and strengthen sustainable manufacturing. KNCPC’s work shows that protecting the environment and empowering people are not separate goals—they are part of the

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Made in Bangladesh: How SMEP Projects are Powering Local Enterprise

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“Anything that is possible in the world, is also possible here, in Bangladesh.” Aniruddha Kumar Roy, Managing Director of Leather Industries of Bangladesh Limited An enthusiastic footwear factory owner summed up the spirit and overarching message of a recent SMEP trip to Bangladesh. His confidence was palpable, reflecting not only his personal ambition and drive, but it also spoke to the wider attitude of an industrious and

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