In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) along the textile value chain have in particular been impacted by the global economic recession. Supporting SMEs to become more resilient, competitive and environmentally friendly is central to the regional EU-funded SwitchMed Programme. In this context, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), together with the ZDHC Foundation, have organized webinars for Moroccan and Tunisian SMEs from the textile and garment industry to increase awareness on chemical and wastewater management.

Between 15 June and 17 July 2020, the webinars will virtually bring together 77 industry professionals from 17 SMEs to introduce practices to phase out hazardous chemicals from the textile, apparel and leather value chain. The webinars are part of a series of training events organized under the MED TEST III project, a UNIDO-led SwitchMed project that focuses on transforming the textile value chain in Morocco and Tunisia to become more circular and environmental. A second series of webinars together with the ZDHC Foundations’ Academy will be launched in September this year.

The SwitchMed Programme was launched in 2013 by the European Union to accelerate the shift to sustainable consumption and production patterns in the Southern Mediterranean region. The Programme aims to support productive, circular economies in the Mediterranean by changing how goods and services are consumed and produced so that human development is decoupled from environmental degradation.

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