The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has begun work on launching the second phase of the Global Environmental Industrial Parks Program (GEIPP) to help emerging and developing economies establish more competitive and sustainable industrial parks that contribute to achieving comprehensive development by adopting circular economy practices and developing strategies to combat climate change.

The United Nations organization, headquartered in the Austrian capital, Vienna, explained in a statement that the second phase of the GEIPP II program extends for five years, with the aim of implementing the program comprehensively and facilitating the benefit of industrial parks in many developing countries, and demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of environmental industrial park approaches, especially with regard to increasing productivity and improving economic enviromental and social performance.

UNIDO valued Switzerland’s contribution of 17.7 million Swiss francs, to launch the second phase of the program, which focuses on strengthening international cooperation, developing plans and standards for recognizing environmental industrial parks and providing technical assistance, with a focus on strengthening the management of industrial parks and environmental, social and economic performance, based on the international framework of the Eco-industrial parks, which was developed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.