The Green Forward Program officially launched its Green Scale Lab this week with the delivery of its first core training module: Green Economy & Sustainability. Hosted in Ramallah on July 28th, the session brought together a cohort of advanced Palestinian Business Support Organizations (BSOs) for an intensive, hands-on training experience aimed at equipping them to better support green and innovation-driven MSMEs across Palestine.
The Green Scale Lab, positioned as the advanced track of the Green Forward Program, was designed to serve as a Green Business Training Academy. It targets BSOs that are already active in the sustainability and green innovation space—organizations with the capacity and ambition to lead systemic change in their fields. Participating BSOs in this track include:
- The Agricultural Development Association (PARC)
- The Economic and Social Development Center of Palestine (ESDC)
- The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
- The Palestine Green Building Council
This first training marked the beginning of a multi-phase journey in which BSOs will be immersed in applied learning, co-develop practical tools, and engage in national policy dialogue—all in service of strengthening the green economy ecosystem.
The full-day training was led by Shadha Musallam, CEO of Agritopia for Agricultural Technology, Environmental Scientist and Technical Consultant at Envisions Solutions. Drawing on over a decade of experience across green innovation, environmental policy, and MSME development, Shadha delivered a multi-dimensional training that blended conceptual foundations with highly practical applications.
The session began with a collective unpacking of what the green economy truly means in the Palestinian context. Participants reflected on the term based on their organizational experience, before aligning around international definitions that emphasize resource efficiency, environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability. They then explored both global and local green economy indicators, comparing international benchmarks to emerging Palestinian data such as solar adoption rates, waste recycling levels, and organic agriculture coverage.
The session emphasized the importance of data-informed decision-making in designing impactful BSO services. Participants were introduced to recent local environmental and socioeconomic data—ranging from energy dependency and water access to waste recycling patterns and agri-food sector vulnerabilities. These insights laid the groundwork for understanding how real-world challenges intersect with the green economy. To support this analysis, BSOs were introduced to key frameworks such as the Environmental Context Analysis Template and the Green Economy Assessment Checklist. These tools offer structured ways to identify gaps and opportunities in MSME support services and will be applied in future sessions as part of the Green Business Toolbox development.
Additionally, the training provided an overview of practical alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BSOs explored the logic of connecting business support services with global goals such as climate action, clean energy, and responsible consumption. Tools like the SDG Business Model Canvas and the SME Green Readiness Survey were introduced as resources that can help bridge the gap between advisory work and long-term sustainability outcomes
Shadha complemented the local lens with regional case studies from Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon—each showcasing how green SMEs in other Arab markets have addressed similar environmental and economic challenges. These stories covered solar technology in Egypt, biogas production in Jordan, and sustainable packaging in Lebanon, offering both inspiration and tangible ideas for adaptation in Palestine.
The Green Scale Lab is a structured pathway to scale the impact of BSOs and equip them to lead Palestine’s green transition. By the end of the session, participants walked away with a deeper understanding of the green economy, a clear sense of the environmental and economic context they are operating within, and a portfolio of tools and frameworks they can apply in real-time with MSMEs.
The Green Forward programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by SPARK and Flow Accelerator in Palestine to foster a green and circular economy (GCE) in the Southern Neighbourhood region.
