The E-Waste Column no. 220

8 hours ago

2 min read

Today, we are looking at the Global Electronics Management (GEM) program, which was formally launched on 7 October 2026.

🌱 What are the goals?

The GEM program is led by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with the African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Environment Programme as its key partners. The program runs from January 2026 to December 2031, and it will support 16 emerging economy countries throughout this period. The program aims to “significantly reduce the generation of electronic waste and increase circularity and resource recovery in the electronics sector”. It will provide “access to finance, technology and policy and legislative change that fosters responsible electronics management”. To date, the program has received USD 60M in financing from the Global Environment Facility and USD 510M in co-financing from different entities.

🌱 What challenges does the program address?

In addition to tackling e-waste, the program will address issues resulting from the use of toxic chemicals in electronics and the depletion of critical raw materials and other limited natural resources through the production of electronics. UNIDO has decided to focus on these challenges as they significantly “contribute to social and economic inequalities”. For example, the sourcing and trade of critical raw materials “can fuel local and international conflicts” and “unsafe e-waste handling often harms vulnerable communities”.

🌱 What will the program focus on?

The GEM program “promotes cleaner production and more sustainable consumption across the entire lifecycle of electronic products—from design and manufacturing to reuse and recycling”. In line with this, the program’s “focus includes reducing hazardous chemicals, encouraging innovative designs that improve resource and energy efficiency, and creating markets for durable and repairable goods”. In practice, there are four key components to the program. These are “enabling policies on circular electronics, cleaner production and sustainable consumption, resource-efficient value chain[s] across the electronics sector, and knowledge management, communication, and programme-level coordination”. Building on this, the program plans to “promote better design practices that extend the lifespan of ICT equipment”, and it will also “support reuse, repair, and recycling efforts”.

🌱 What is the anticipated impact?

The GEM program aims to support the private sector in different ways to create more “resource-efficient value chains”. It is estimated that the combined impact of each of the projects being supported through the GEM program will benefit over 200 000 people. The program is also estimated to amount to an avoidance of 102.7 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, a removal of 35.1 tons of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), the prevention of 42 000 tons of POP-containing materials from being generated, and the avoidance of the release of 4.6 grams of toxic equivalents over its 6-year period.

💡 Palsa & Pulk, the social enterprise that owns and runs The E-Waste Column, is one of the stakeholders of the GEM program. Over the next 5 years, we will therefore be offering our insights both to and into the program.