With the aim to further promote eco-inclusive entrepreneurship and advocate for the role of the SMEs in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SEED has been invited to join and contribute to a few major events.

As part of the preparation process of the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2023, SEED joined the United Nations Regional Consultation for the Arab Region on 23-25 January in Doha, Qatar. At this occasion, SEED called for urgent action needed to reverse environmental degradation and accelerate action on securing the environmental commons and supporting human well-being in order to achieve the SDGs. A set of policy recommendations to support green SMEs as innovators on the environmental commons and supporters of human well-being was shared.

On 8-10 February, SEED will join the United Nations Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific, focused on “Integrating Circular Economy in Major Development Sectors towards Achieving Zero Waste Societies and the SDGs” in Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia. At this occasion, SEED will contribute to two plenary sessions:

1. “Creating Synergies in Achieving SDGs and Paris Agreement on Climate Change through Circular Economy” in which a presentation will be held on the need for “A Collective Action Catalyst for an SME led Circular Low Carbon Transition”; and
2. “Circular Economy and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)” which will be moderated by SEED’s Executive Director, Arab Hoballah, focusing on building resilience, ways for transition to circular economy and Public-private partnerships (PPP), among other issues.

Moreover, in its efforts to further advocate for accelerating and scaling up SME support, especially through collective action, SEED will present the Coalition for Innovation, Circularity and Entrepreneurship (CICE) to UNIDO and OECD partners in early February.

Stay tuned to our channels to find out about the outcomes of these meetings in the coming weeks!