SWITCH Africa Green Phase II This project forms part of the second phase of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. This is an ongoing EC-financed programme created by the European commission in 2013 that supports countries in Africa to achieve sustainable development by engaging in the transition towards an "inclusive green economy which generates growth, creates jobs and reduces poverty". The overall programme has 3 main components: policy support, green business development (grants component) and a networking facility component. UN Environment will be responsible for the policy support, green financing and the networking facility components while EC will be responsible for the green business development component.

Specifically, the programme supports 1) the establishment of policies, incentive structures, and instruments for green business development, and 2) private sector initiatives promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices. SWITCH Africa Green contributes to implement SDG 12 "Ensure SCP patterns" and is coherent with other SDGs, in particular SDG 8 "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all", and its target 8.4 on &ldquo;decoupling&rdquo;.

A new EU allocation of EUR 20 million has been committed to consolidate and scale up the efforts initiated under the first phase of SWITCH Africa Green. This is coherent with the preliminary findings of the programme monitoring, which indicate that MSMEs supported by SWITCH Africa Green are implementing useful SCP practices, but that there is scope to improve impact, in particular through appropriate policies and actions linking micro and macro levels (guiding action down to the sub-national / local level). It responds to the high interest expressed by stakeholders during the first phase of the programme, in a context of growing attention to SCP at regional and global level, as evidenced by the adoption of a dedicated SDG in the 2030 Agenda. This contribution is also coherent with EU's efforts to scale up its cooperation on green economy through the SWITCH TO GREEN flagship initiative.

The focus of this new contribution will be in line with the first phase of the programme, with three complementary components (policy support, green business development through grants to private sector initiatives, and a networking facility) framing the action. More attention will be given to MSMEs access to finance, support to governments to strengthen specific policies on green business, as well as enhance awareness of green business and Sustainable Consumption and Production practices in the region. While UN Environment implemented all 3 components in the first phase of the programme, only policy support and the networking facility will be implemented by UNEP in the second phase. 

While UNEP will remain the main partner of the programme, in line with its global policy mandate on SCP, EU Delegations will play a stronger role, and manage the green business component, contributing to better synergies with EU geographic programmes. Efforts will be undertaken to improve the functioning of the National Technical Coordination Committees (National Technical Coordination Committees).  Governments in partner countries will continue to play a key role in the programme, steering its implementation at national level through the National Technical Coordination Committees and receiving support under the policy component.