From 7 to 9 November, the Closing of the First Phase of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) took place at UNIDO Headquarters, at the Vienna International Centre, Austria.
The event brought together representatives from Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Peru, South Africa, Ukraine, and Vietnam, who participated in the programme’s initial phase focused on implementing Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs).
The opening session was led by Jerome Stucki, Head of UNIDO’s Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Unit, and Christian Susan, Eco-Industrial Parks Programme Manager.
On the first day, a policy session was held to encourage knowledge exchange and collaboration among GEIPP countries. Juan Sebastián Gutiérrez Botero, National Coordinator of EIP Colombia, highlighted Colombia’s regulatory progress, including achieving the world’s first technical standard for Eco-Industrial Parks.
On the second day, during the session on prioritized parks, Juan David Salazar, Technical Coordinator of the EIP Programme, presented successful industrial symbiosis cases in the programme’s three prioritized parks in Colombia. The session also discussed the identification, financing, and implementation of projects delivered during the first phase, as well as the potential to replicate these efforts in 19 additional industrial parks in Colombia, supported by technical guidelines and tools developed in the country.
The Colombian delegation included the previously mentioned representatives, along with Sara Zafra (Legal Expert), Soraya Caro Vargas (Vice Minister of Business Development), Carla Rey (Representative of Zona Franca Bogotá), and Mariana Briceño (Representative of ANDI). The event enabled exchange of experiences and recognition of achievements from the first phase, and it also announced the successful management and signing of the second phase of the programme in Colombia, marking a milestone in promoting eco-industrial and sustainable practices in the country.