South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme

What South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme does

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) is an inter-governmental organization established in 1982 by the governments of South Asia and headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It serves eight member countries—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—representing approximately 1.89 billion people, or over one-fifth of the world's population. Its mandate is to promote and support the protection, management, and enhancement of the regional environment, and it operates with a core secretariat staff of roughly nine people while leveraging National Focal Point networks in each member country.

SACEP's offerings are regional cooperation programmes and convening functions rather than commercial products. Core programmes include the South Asian Seas Programme (SASP)—for which SACEP acts as secretariat under UNEP's 18 Regional Seas Programmes—biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, waste management (including the 3R framework), sustainable consumption and production, the Malé Declaration on transboundary air pollution, and the Sustainable Nitrogen Management Programme linked to the UKRI-GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub. The largest single initiative is the US$50 million Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project, implemented jointly with the World Bank (IDA $37M grant) and Parley for the Oceans ($13M parallel financing) across six countries; the project's operational phase closed in 2025 and is being positioned as a foundation for follow-on circular economy programming.

The underlying technology layer is modest: digital communication and coordination platforms (website, social channels, publications and technical reports) supporting inter-governmental information exchange. The business model is non-commercial: SACEP is funded by assessed contributions from its eight member governments plus grants from international donors and development banks (World Bank, ADB, JICA, NORAD, UN agencies, UNEP, IMO and others). It has no pricing model in the conventional sense; services are delivered to member governments through collaborative programmes, workshops, and projects. A new state-of-the-art headquarters in Colombo was opened in October 2025, signaling physical capacity expansion.

Name

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme

Legal name

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme

Website

https://sacep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) is an inter-governmental organization founded in 1982 that coordinates regional environmental protection across eight South Asian member states serving roughly 1.89 billion people, convening cooperation on climate change, biodiversity, marine pollution, and waste management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inter-governmental Environmental Cooperation

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), National Security and International Affairs (9281)

SIC

Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Risk Management (BPADALAK), Environmental, Spill Prevention & Response Compliance (MARPOL, SOPEP/SMPEP, Waste) (TLAHANAI), Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPAGABAO)

Keywords

• Inter-governmental environmental cooperation
• Regional seas programme
• Marine pollution prevention
• Climate change adaptation
• Biodiversity conservation programme

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Member Contributions: SACEP receives contributions from its eight member country governments (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) to fund its operational activities and programmes.
2. International Donor Funding: SACEP receives funding and grants from international organizations and development partners including World Bank, UN agencies, and bilateral donors for implementation of environmental projects.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SACEP is an inter-governmental organization that coordinates regional environmental cooperation across its eight South Asian member states. It manages thematic programmes on biodiversity, climate change, waste management, marine pollution, and sustainable development, and serves as the Secretariat for the South Asian Seas Programme (SASP), one of UNEP's 18 Regional Seas Programmes. Its flagship project is the US$50 million Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) initiative implemented with the World Bank and Parley for the Oceans.

Product overview

SACEP is an inter-governmental organization (not a technology product company) that operates a portfolio of environmental programmes and projects. The core offering includes the South Asian Seas Programme (SASP) which serves as the secretariat function, plus thematic programmes on biodiversity conservation, climate change, waste management, and sustainable development. Major projects include the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project ($50M regional initiative) and the South Asian Nitrogen Hub research programme. All offerings are regional cooperation frameworks and capacity-building initiatives rather than commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• South Asian Seas Programme (SASP) Secretariat-managed regional seas programme addressing marine pollution, coastal management, and ocean governance for SACEP's member states; one of 18 UNEP Regional Seas Programmes.
• Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project US$50 million regional project implemented with the World Bank and Parley for the Oceans to curb marine plastic pollution across six South Asian countries and support the region's transition to a circular plastic economy.
• Biodiversity Conservation Programme Regional programme focused on protecting and preserving diverse flora and fauna across South Asian ecosystems, coordinated through SACEP's member state focal points.
• Climate Change Programme Adaptation and mitigation initiatives addressing climate change impacts across the South Asian region, coordinated with member governments and international partners including ADB.
• Waste Management Programme Regional initiatives addressing solid waste management across South Asia using the 3R concept (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), implemented with partners including GPWM, IGES-CCET, and CCAC.
• Malé Declaration on Transboundary Air Pollution Regional framework for the control and prevention of transboundary air pollution in South Asia, including the recently adopted Malé Declaration 2.0.
• Sustainable Nitrogen Management Programme Regional initiative addressing nitrogen pollution through the South Asian Nitrogen Hub (SANH), supported by UKRI-GCRF funding. SACEP led adoption of the Sustainable Nitrogen Management Resolution at UNEA 4.
• Sustainable Consumption and Production Programme Programme promoting environmentally sustainable consumption and production patterns across the South Asian region.
• Post 2015 South Asia Development Agenda / 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Regional development agenda focused on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals across SACEP's eight South Asian member countries, aligned with the global 2030 Agenda.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully coordinated $50 million Plastic Free Rivers and Seas project across 6 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Parley for the OceanscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2020Parley for the Oceans provides $13 million parallel financing for the PLEASE Project and brings expertise in eco-innovation and plastic replacement solutions. Co-implementer of the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia project.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP is the parent organization for Regional Seas Programmes. SACEP serves as Secretariat for South Asian Seas Programme, one of UNEP's 18 Regional Seas Programmes. Multiple collaborative initiatives including Malé Declaration, GPA implementation, and environmental assessments.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMO collaboration on regional oil spill contingency plans, MARPOL implementation, and GloFouling Partnership project for managing invasive aquatic species from ship biofouling.
• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICIMOD and SACEP collaborate on air quality, climate change, and biodiversity initiatives in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.
• UKRI-GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub (SANH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSANH is a UKRI-funded research programme on sustainable nitrogen management. Jointly organized workshops on South Asia Nitrogen Framework Policy and regional nitrogen management initiatives.
• IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on waste management framework policy development, Sub-Regional workshops on Global Waste Management Goals, and sustainable waste management initiatives.
• United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUNOPS supports SACEP in implementation of the World Bank-funded PLEASE Project, including construction of SACEP headquarters building.
• Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSACEP is a partner to GPNM working on nutrient management issues in South Asia.
• Global Partnership on Waste Management (GPWM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSACEP became an institution participating in GPWM in September 2012 for waste management knowledge sharing.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN delegation visited SACEP to explore collaboration on conservation and biodiversity initiatives.
• Ramsar ConventionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing discussions for MoU on general collaboration, potential SACEP membership in IOP of Ramsar, and participation at Ramsar COP.
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral meeting held at CMS COP13 to explore collaboration on migratory species protection.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through IPLA programme and various environmental initiatives in South Asia.
• Global Methane HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on waste methane mitigation initiatives in South Asia through CCAC partnership.
• Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAC supports waste methane mitigation and air quality initiatives in South Asia.
• Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly working on waste management, climate change initiatives, and capacity building programmes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sacep_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJWipdY23VhNmMywN9NvzGA
• Facebookfacebook.com/sacep.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sacep-org
• Instagraminstagram.com/sacep_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme