From November 11 to 14, 2025, the global inception workshop for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project "Shifting To Zero Waste Against Pollution Initiative" (SWAP) was successfully convened in Tianjin and Beijing through a combined format of plenary sessions and field visits. Co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO) of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the event brought together government and urban management representatives from participating countries, including China, Türkiye, Uruguay, Sierra Leone, and Tunisia, as well as international institutions such as the GEF, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and leading sector experts.
Focusing on Key Priorities, Shaping Future Pathways. The meeting featured in-depth exchanges on national practices, long-term goals, and common challenges in building waste-free cities. Chinese delegates outlined the country’s notable progress in this area, while representatives from other participating countries shared their respective priorities and practical experience in waste governance. Mr. Andrik Mols, a Swedish expert in resource circulation, presented successful European approaches in waste reduction and resource recovery, offering valuable insights for pilot cities worldwide.
Leveraging Innovative Finance, Strengthening Global Consensus. During the session on financing, Mr. Christopher Lilyblad, UNDP Sustainable Finance Specialist, introduced a global strategy for deploying innovative financial instruments to support waste-free city initiatives. Experts from the GEF, AIIB, ADB, and China’s green finance community explored cross-border cooperation mechanisms involving green bonds, credit guarantees, and other tools, reinforcing the international consensus on scaling finance for urban waste solutions.
Learning from Site Visits, Turning Vision into Practice. As part of the programme, participants visited the Tianjin Hazardous Waste Disposal Center, a circular economy demonstration park, and a waste-to-energy plant, gaining first-hand insight into China’s technical and operational experience in solid waste management and resource recovery. Drawing on case studies from circular economy parks, delegates discussed scalable solutions adaptable to different urban contexts.
The five-year SWAP project aims to strengthen holistic solid waste management, adhere to green chemistry and circular economy principles, and promote green transition in production and consumption, in line with the waste hierarchy, through advancing pilot “zero-waste city” initiatives in participating countries, thereby effectively reducing pollution and enhancing resource efficiency. As the official global launch of the SWAP project, the gathering marks the project’s formal entry into the implementation phase.
FECO will use this initiative to continue fostering high-level international cooperation, facilitating mutual learning and result-oriented exchanges among countries, and delivering tangible contributions to South-South cooperation and the global environmental governance framework.
