GEIPP Implementation
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Interest in industrial parks has grown significantly in recent decades. The clustering of firms in designated locations creates opportunities for collaboration and efficiency gains, such as the adoption of circular economy practices. As developing and emerging economies strive to boost industrial output, there is an increasing need to balance economic growth with environmental and social sustainability.
Over the past 30 years, UNIDO has been at the forefront of promoting resource efficiency and cleaner production in industries and industrial parks across developing and emerging economies. These efforts have been realized through pilot projects and global initiatives aimed at disseminating knowledge and fostering sustainable practices.
To scale up its commitment to sustainable industrial development, UNIDO launched its first Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) pilot initiatives in India and Tunisia in 2010. Building on this foundation, UNIDO expanded its EIP work in 2012 under the joint UNIDO-UNEP global programme on Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP), supported by SECO.
In 2019, the first phase of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) was initiated. This phase included EIP pilot projects in seven countries: Ukraine, Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa, Colombia, and Peru. Following the success of GEIPP Phase I, the programme entered its second phase in 2024. While Phase I focused on capacity building and piloting EIP concepts, Phase II aims to transition from showcasing benefits to facilitating the replication and scaling of EIP approaches. Six countries—Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa, Colombia, Peru, and Ukraine—are included in full-scale project implementation.
GEIPP Phase II extends support for EIP adoption in policy and planning through EIP Light Touch Activities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Moldova, Tanzania, and Morocco. These efforts aim to further integrate EIP principles into national frameworks, fostering sustainable industrial growth worldwide.
At the UNIDO level, technical assistance to support industrial parks in transitioning toward Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs) is not limited to the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP). Other EIP-related projects are also developed and funded by various donors.
