Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - Tashkent hosted an event on launching of seven grant projects in Central Asia as part of the SWITCH Asia program aimed at supporting sustainable consumption and the transition to a low-carbon green economy, Dunyo reports.

The EU SWTICH Asia program was launched in 2007. Currently, it covers 24 countries of the continent. In 2019, Central Asia was added to the list of participants. In total, 23 new projects are being implemented within its framework, 7 of them for Central Asia.

SWITCH Asia finances pilot projects to help SMEs adopt cleaner technologies and sustainable manufacturing practices.

EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Eduars Stiprais, addressing the participants, noted that Europe and Central Asia are faced with the same consumption and production patterns.

“Reduction, reuse and recycling” has become the new slogan in Europe,” he said. - This new approach affects not only the work of the business, but also the behavior of citizens and regular consumers. Everyone is becoming more responsible.

At the same time, he added that to achieve success in the fight against climate change, collective efforts are needed, as well as directing investments in the right direction of green projects.

Francois Begeo, Head of the Cooperation Department of the EU Delegation in Uzbekistan, presented the priorities of the SWITCH Asia Central Asia program. In particular, he noted that on the way to solving the problems of climate change, the EU and Central Asia are focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 12.

“We want to help the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development until 2030, as well as promote cooperation in climate change mitigation and adaptation,” F. Begeo said. - In turn, it is important to create an economy with multi-use products. It is important to separate economic development from environmental degradation

The list of seven projects included:

- Resource efficiency in the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan;

- The revival of sustainable production of ikat and silk in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan;

- Implementation of SCP practices and sustainable models in the work of the IHR in the tourism sector of Kazakhstan;

- Implementation of best sustainable tourism practices in the supply chain of tourism services in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia through an integrated business approach;

- Promotion of energy security and sustainable growth by improving the energy and resource efficiency of the Ministry of Railways in the field of tourism in Kyrgyzstan;

- A model of sustainable tourism in Central Asia: capacity building, awareness raising, technology implementation in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan;

- Promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy production in the local tourism sector in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.