Author: pcepsdi_org

The World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines) organised The Sustainable Diner Summit together with different partners (as PCEPSDI is one of the partner organisation) through The Sustainable Diner: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism last March 03, 2020 at Seda Vertis North, Quezon City. The theme of the event is Beyond Research: Sustainability in the Food Service Sector. Present from the event were from national agencies and local government units; the food and beverage industry; hospitality industry; the academe, etc.   Photo by: WWF-Philippines During the Sustainable Diner Summit, PCEPSDI’s Programme Director of the National Ecolabelling Programme-Green Choice Philippines, Engr. Maureen Grace Lebria, presented and emphasised that sustainability is a process. She stated that some products are more preferable than others because of its minimised effects to the environment. She also stated that it is also crucial that the consumers guide to these products and services should proven to be good for the environment and Green Choice Seal can help achieve these goals.   Photo by: WWF-Philippines On the other hand, PCEPSDI’s Board of Trustee, Dr. Alvin Culaba, also participated at the said event. He discussed the tool that are helpful for the industries to measure the environmental impacts, which is the Life Cycle Analysis or LCA. It is an information tool for guiding the consumers’ decision using environmental performance indicators and product declarations. He also stated during his presentation that “Casual restaurants are encouraged to shift to serving vegetable dishes and create awareness campaigns to encourage diners to consume higher portions of vegetables than meat.” Read more of the details here: https://www.bworldonline.com/saving-the-planet-one-dish-at-a-time/?fbclid=IwAR0_CuFl3LQ4cfjWPt4gsYCG5dJWH6lElLoHAdclTnGsv179wpr8iM_Gsgc

Group signs commitment to the Kalikasan GP3 2019 on September 17, 2019 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center to strengthen the promotion and advocacy of KGP3 to be a green platform, to be a convergence of public and private initiatives, and to showcase green products and best practices towards a greener Philippines. With the pledge to advance climate-smart businesses, sustainable tourism, and sustainable forestry towards inclusive growth and circular economy. A group signs commitment to advance Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the country at the 6th staging of the “Kalikasan Green Productivity, Green Purchasing Towards Green Philippines 2019”, launched earlier by the country’s leading organizations. A Memorandum of Cooperation was forged between 13 public and private organizations, among them Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Climate Change Commission (CCC), Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), Quezon City LGU, SM Supermalls, Quanta Paper Corporation, Unilever Philippines, GIZ Thailand, WWF Philippines, and the Philippine Wood Producers Association. The event that was launched will take place on November 5-6, 2019 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center. KGP3 remaining true to its advocacy in the promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production in the country, aligned its goals to the past KGP3 events, this year’s Kalikasan GP3  aims to continue what it has begun and scale up through its theme: “Doing More with Less for a Climate Smart Economy: An Inclusive Growth for Tourism Industry and Upland Community”. Organized by the National Ecolabelling Programme-Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP), the advocacy event aims to strengthen and establish commitments for inclusive actions in addressing climate challenges, and advancing sustainable consumption and production practices. For the last eight years, the Kalikasan GP3 Programme has served as a platform of green convergence for consumer awareness on green products available in the market and a venue of knowledge and existing initiatives on green business practices, innovation of technologies and incentives in the tourism industry and upland community. To know more about the event, visit the KGP3 Website at www.kalikasan-gp3.com or send inquiries to kalikasan-gp3@pcepsdi.org.ph.

Last August 30, 2019, the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), under the Transforming Tourism Value Chains (TVC) project, with the support of the Iloilo City Mayor’s Office, delivered a Sustainable Procurement Training for the Hospitality Sector in Iloilo City. This training was developed in accordance with the Country Report on the Assessment of Sustainable Procurement Practices at the National Level, written by Mr. John Paolo Rivera, Ph.D, Project Technical Consultant to the TVC project, and Associate Director of the Asian Institute of Management – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism. The Country Report found that in addressing the gaps of sustainable procurement in the country, tourism stakeholders suggested to be provided with more capacity building and training, together with tools and guidance to support the practice of sustainable procurement, among other findings.  The training began with a brief overview of the impacts of climate change, as well as recent environmental issues, given by TVC Project Assistant, Ms. Andrea Go. She presented the results and other findings of the country report that was written by Mr. Rivera, who surveyed around 50 tourism enterprises (e.g. hotels, restaurants, MICE establishments, business associations and other tourism professionals) in assessing the current level of sustainable procurement in the country. A case study on El Nido Resorts, a tourism enterprise actually practicing sustainable procurement, was also presented by TVC’s Research Assistant, Mr. Ezekiel Dimagiba.   Project Officer Mr. Kiko Velhagen then gave a lecture on Procurement Planning, which provided an overview of the basic steps of the process of sustainable procurement. The exercises during this lecture taught the participants to map sustainability impacts of their assigned products throughout the tourism value chain, and to prioritise the issues and responses they envisioned in addressing these impacts. This was followed by a lecture on the basics of Pre-Purchasing given by Green Choice Philippines Project Officer, Ms. Jouelle Nerveza, which showed the participants the significance of defining requirements asked of potential suppliers, and how to identify green products through ecolabelling.  Dr. Angie Zafra, Executive Director of Strategia Development Research Institute (SDRI), then presented the Local Market Readiness Analysis report made by her team, which aimed to assess the tourism market’s potential responsiveness to an increased demand of sustainable products and services; identify potential threats and opportunities that a shift might create for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for the local market; and define sustainability criteria for given products and identify means of verification and sustainability standards.  With the participants having been given some ideas of sustainable criteria, they proceeded to practice writing sustainable specifications for their assigned products. Ms. Nerveza gave a lecture on Purchasing followed by an exercise which showed participants how to evaluate bidders by considering both the products they offer and the background of their companies.   The next stage of the procurement process, Post-purchasing, was discussed by Mr. Velhagen, who emphasized that drafting contract clauses with the supplier should consider all aspects—environmental, social and economic – and may be monitored through key performance indicators. Fair contract pricing should also be prioritized, as well as having a systematic monitoring and review strategy to ensure supplier performance and compliance. The training was capped off by Research Assistant Ms. Nicole Gomez, who discussed six concrete steps in applying sustainable procurement in participants’ respective establishments. Participants accomplished an exercise on brainstorming which offices or departments could spearhead ensuring sustainable procurement practices in their establishments. To know more about the project: you can email Mr. Kiko Velhagen, tvc4relcd@pcepsdi.org.ph/ kiko.velhagen@pcepsdi.org.ph

Last July 25, 2019, the Transforming Tourism Value Chains project launched the Roadmap for Low-Carbon and Resource-Efficient Tourism in the Philippines for Accommodation and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (M.I.C.E.) at the ASEAN Plus Three Environmental Management Standards Forum organized by the Philippine Department of Tourism. The forum showcased the recognized best practices of the ASEAN Member-States and Plus Three countries (Japan, China and Korea) in addressing the different environmental issues that affect the tourism industry. It also sought to develop the Environmental Management Standards that will eventually be adopted by the ASEAN and plus (3) three countries.    In the last session of the program, Project Officer Mr. Kiko Velhagen presented the Transforming Tourism Value Chains project to demonstrate the Philippines’ best practices in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting resource efficiency in the accommodation, MICE and food & beverage sectors. He highlighted the effects of climate change in the country, and how these would affect the increasing growth and development being experienced by the tourism industry. He then emphasized how greening this industry should be a collaborative effort across all sectors, from product/service providers, supply chain related businesses, government and consumers.  After presenting the project’s timeline and updates, Mr. Velhagen briefly presented the project tools that hotels and other accommodation establishments can use to monitor their resource efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions in their operations. He also stated that the project is guided by the views of the Roadmap, which was formally presented by the next speaker, Mr. Pablo Montes Iannini.     As the Value Chain and Private Sector Analyst from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Mr. Iannini emphasized on the significance of the Roadmap for Low Carbon and Resource Efficient Tourism in the Philippines, as tourism stakeholders from the value chain envisioned the country being enhanced as a globally recognized tourism destination. Presenting the environmental issues in the value chain, Mr. Iannini identified six areas cross-cutting across the value chain that produced the highest amount of greenhouse emissions: meat and dairy products, electricity use, farming and beverage production, food waste, water use and pollution from liquid and solid waste.  These priority issues in the value chain need to be addressed by systemic solutions and ambitious targets, in order to mitigate their effects as much as is possible. The four systemic solutions that have been identified, after numerous workshops with relevant tourism stakeholders, are as follows: Sustainable Food Value Chains, Sustainable Events, Beating Pollution, and Sustainable Energy. Some of the systemic solutions require activities such as measuring and monitoring food waste reduction, ensuring enabling policies and institutional support, eliminating the use of single use plastics and building smart hotels and venues for the future. Mr. Iannini then discussed an action plan to jumpstart the implementation of the Roadmap, putting forward and prioritizing actions and targets in sectoral roadmaps and deploying capacity building activities to achieve the sector’s vision of the Philippines being enhanced as a globally recognized tourism destination. Click the link below to download the roadmap:

TREES 4 SUSTAINABILITY – Nourishing Trees for Nurturing Nature is a unique tree planting and forest landscape restoration program that aims to promote sustainable forest management through public-private-community partnership. By adopting a tree to be nourished until it attains its sustainability, you can now contribute and participate in a nation-wide greening and forest conservation program. Geared towards achieving sustainable development goals, it endeavors contributing to lessening the adverse impacts of climate change, water and watershed conservation, biodiversity protection, and revitalizing forestry industries that provide inclusive growth.  Administered by the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc., in partnership with various cause-oriented organizations, governments, and private sectors, a tree nourishing program has been launched to reforest selected sites and forest parks through contribution of donors and patrons of trees with a guaranteed success of survival through the issuance of Tree Certificates with proper identification and geo-tags of the tree being adopted.  Why Adopt A Tree?  The Philippines ranks 3rd among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world where we are prone to adverse effects of climate change.  Among the major causes of climate change is the rapidly increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is caused by several activities such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation among others. With the reduction of forest cover that could have absorbed the greenhouse gas, climate crisis is heightened. As of 2015, the total forest cover recorded is 7 M hectares from the 15 M hectares declared forestland. Despite the growth, this still pales in comparison to the country’s forest cover more than a century ago reaching up to 21 M hectares or 70% of the total land area. Such climate hazards can be minimized by restoring forest landscape through sustainable tree planting program that will serve as carbon storage and enhance the water holding capacity of forest ecosystem such as the Marikina watershed. Photo: Ohio Sea Grant Forests as Carbon Sink  From a global temperature of 0.40°C in 2000, the Earth’s global temperature has risen to 0.98°C in 2016, affecting many life forms and natural resources in the planet. In fact, experts from the UN Interpanel on Climate Change  (IPCC) claims that we only have until 2030 before we reach the 1.5 degree C temperature increase. By such time, extreme weather occurrences are inevitable. Among the many contribution in global warming is CO2 which acts as a blanket that traps heat in the world. Last year as much as 37,100,000,000,000 kg of CO2 was released into the atmosphere.  Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the excessive CO2 in the atmosphere. By just nurturing one tree, as much as 17 kg of carbon a year is captured from the atmosphere. If allowed to mature until 40 years old, a single tree has the capacity to sequester as much as 1,000 kg of carbon. Further studies of IPCC reveals that around 50% of the carbon is stored in plant and animal material and 50% in the soil. Amazingly, forests have the potential to absorb approximately 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 each year, the emissions of which are released from burning fossil fuels, which is an activity usually done by man. By planting more trees and creating more forest cover, climate stability is supported, and more oxygen will be released into our atmosphere, which balances the dramatic amount of greenhouse gases already present.      Forests as Watershed  Maintaining our forests is crucial for maximizing water yield, regulating seasonal flows and ensuring high water quality. Without our forests, it is highly possible that we would experience worse flash floods, soil erosion and more frequent water interruptions. From a global perspective, it is estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in areas with absolute water scarcity, with ⅔ of the world’s population possibly experiencing water-stressed conditions.  On the flip side, by acting as a reservoir, forests protect communities by holding down the soil and absorbing most of the water when it rains. The effects of reduced forest protection over the years was evident during the onslaught of the tropical depression Ondoy in 2009. Without the protection of forests, the tropical depression had dumped as much as 23 meters of rain — that is as high as an 8-storey building, over a 24-hour period which had also claimed the lives of much as 710 people. Proper forest management and tree nourishing activities can then be beneficial to the surrounding community and to the environment by providing cities with drinking water. It can also help reduce water-related risks such as landslides, local floods and droughts. Forests as Home for Land Biodiversity and Natural Heritage The forest is the most biodiverse ecosystem on land. In fact, as much as 80% of terrestrial plants and animals live in the forests. In the Philippines, forests are also important for religious and cultural practices. Specifically in Ifugao, cutting of century-old trees are discouraged because it is believed that the spirit of their ancestors linger in them. This enables the forest to perform its ecological functions such as water conservation, as the spillover of water is received by farms and allows communities to have a stable food source and livelihood.  Moreover, the Philippines is among the 17 mega diverse countries containing two-thirds of earth’s life. Of the more than 50,000 life forms identified, more than half are found nowhere else in the world but in the Philippines. The many plants and animals that call the Philippines home is evident; this includes the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), the world’s largest eagle species known for its loyalty to its spouse.  Forests as a Source of Livelihood  Due to the Philippines’ extensive lands and rich soil, an upsurge of tree population is extremely beneficial for the State’s fast growing economy. In fact, agroforestry and its resources roughly accounted for 10.76% of the Philippine’s GDP on the last quarter of 2018, raking in Php 183 billion in the Agriculture and Forestry sector and Php 619 million in the Industry Sector. In spite …

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The Sustainable Diner project team of WWF-Philippines and PCEPSDI with representatives from the Cebu City LGU’s various offices: Tourism; Health; Planning; Public Information; Budget;  Agriculture; Environment and Natural Resources; and Resource Management and Development Center. Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ The Sustainable Diner: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism project conducted a policy planning workshop in partnership with the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) and the Cebu City Local Government Unit (LGU) at the Social Hall of the Cebu City Hall last March 4, 2019. The workshop was attended by representatives from the LGU’s Resource Management and Development Center and the Tourism; Health; Planning; Public Information; Budget; Agriculture; and Environment and Natural Resources offices. The goal of the workshop was to validate the action recommendations and strategies derived from the Action Planning Workshop conducted last year in order to assist the LGU in integrating the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) concept into their policies and plans and identifying key departments or units instrumental in handling each recommended strategic action. Ms. Diana Sadili, PCEPSDI’s Project Officer for The Sustainable Diner project, facilitating the exchange of recommendations amongst representatives from the Cebu City LGU’s different offices.  Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines Ms. Diana Sadili, PCEPSDI’s Project Officer for The Sustainable Diner project, set the expectations for the policy planning workshop by giving a quick run-through on the project action recommendations and strategies, consolidated from the inputs gathered from the Action Planning Workshop held last September 24-25, 2018. The Action Planning Workshop was meant to define the medium- and long-term strategic goals of specific national and local government units on the implementation of SCP in the food service industry, and to integrate SCP principles into local and national policies and plans. The gathered recommendations and strategies were classified under four (4) major themes: the creation of an SCP council; the institutionalization and harmonization of SCP concepts; the adoption and implementation of SCP practices and policies; and the development of a support system for the food service industry’s transition to SCP compliance. Ms. Liezl Stuart Del Rosario, The Sustainable Diner project’s Policy Specialist, facilitating the workshop on solid waste management, particularly on the management of single-use plastics.  Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines With Cebu City being situated in an island that is surrounded by rich marine biodiversity and blessed with different forms of natural resources, environmental protection became a very important theme during the policy planning workshop. Giving a specific importance to this lens, the presented action recommendations and strategies were then assessed by the Cebu City LGU representatives, particularly on how these can be improved and implemented through local policy-making and governance. During the workshop proper, the Cebu City LGU representatives were able to localize the consolidated challenges and opportunities shared during the Action Planning Workshop by stakeholders from the food service industry, the academe, and other civil society organizations, with the present challenges they are facing in the different aspects of local governance. The action recommendations and strategies were then further refined, and collectively, suggestions were made on the possible delegation of the roles and responsibilities to the corresponding LGU offices.  Ms. Aireen Monica Guzman, Sanitation Inspector I from the Cebu City Health Department, presenting the discussion highlights concerning the protection of natural resources in Cebu City.  Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines The outcome of the policy planning workshop will be further synthesized until a revised batch of action recommendations and strategies, specifically for Cebu City, can be presented and implemented with the help of the LGU’s different offices. Having concluded the policy planning workshops for Quezon City and Cebu City, the same kind of workshop will be conducted in Tagaytay City in the coming month.   The Sustainable Diner project, under WWF-Philippines’ Sustainable Consumption and Production, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.

Guest Speakers with the participants of the 10th Philippine League of Local Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PLLENRO) National Convention. Photo © Jouelle Nerveza / PCEPSDI The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), as a pioneer organization in advocating Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the country, contributed to the 10th National Convention of the Philippine League of Local Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PLLENRO), held at the CityState Asturias Hotel in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The convention was attended by Environment and Natural Resources Officers (ENROs) from different local government units in the Philippines. PCEPSDI had the opportunity to organize a one-day programme on March 1, 2019 for the convention highlighting sustainability in the tourism industry in partnership with PLLENRO. It included current initiatives in the country in the promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), understanding the environmental footprint of the accommodation sector, as well as actual application of innovative solutions as a core business practice. Ms. Jane Dela Rosa of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) also graced the event and presented NEDA’s initiatives on strengthening SCP in the Philippines. PCEPSDI Executive Director June Alvarez discussing Green Choice Philippines as an ISO 14024 Application. Photo © Jouelle Nerveza / PCEPSDI PCEPSDI Executive June Alvarez discussed Green Choice Philippines as an ISO 14024 application in the forefront of promoting SCP in the Philippines. Green Choice Philippines is an ecolabelling scheme that follows the guidelines and procedure of ISO 14024 and it aims to communicate that consumers can put trust on labels. The programme also include the existing projects of the organization in the promotion of sustainable tourism. PCEPSDI Project Officer Kiko Velhagen discussed the pilot project on Transforming Tourism Value Chains. A project in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Transforming Tourism project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote resource efficiency in the Hotel and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions (MICE) sector. PCEPSDI Project Officer Diana Sadili also shared the results of the Life Cycle Study conducted for Food Services. The study is part of PCEPSDI’s technical assistance to the Sustainable Diner Project: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism, which was also presented at the event by WWF Philippines’ Project Manager Melody Melo-Rijk. Mr. Neil Rumbaoa of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) and Mr. Robert Llamas of Quanta Paper Corporation also shared their respective companies’ initiatives on Sustainability. SMHCC being a partner on Transforming Tourism Value Chains Project and Quanta Paper Corporation as an awarded Green Choice Product. Awarding of certificates to the speakers with PLLENRO Officials. Photo © Jouelle Nerveza / PCEPSDI Through this event, PCEPSDI and PLLENRO has reaffirmed the organizations’ partnership in the promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production. To know more about the initiative on sustainable development, please visit our website at www.pcepsdi.org.ph.

PCEPSDI and WWF conduct Action-Planning Workshop for the Sustainable Diner project stakeholders Photo © Pauline Abello / PCEPSDI The participants of the Action-Planning Workshop come from the government, both national and local, the food service industry, the academe, and civil society organisations. Last September 24 and 25, 2018, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ The Sustainable Diner: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism project, together with The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), conducted a two-day Action-Planning Workshop at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, Quezon City. Stakeholders from the national and local government, the food service industry, the academe, and other civil society organizations were gathered to determine processes and perspectives which affect the advancement of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in the food service sector on both the national and local business levels. Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines Diana Sadili, Project Officer of PCEPSDI, served as the host and moderator for the two-day workshop. The aims of the action-planning workshop were to define the long-term strategic goals of the select national and local government units on the implementation of SCP in the food service industry, to integrate SCP principles in local and national policies and plans, to help address the foreseen hurdles in the project implementation, and to identify opportunities and actions for successful implementation and integration of SCP in the operations of food service establishments nationwide. The workshop produced a draft action plan for the integration of SCP in the food service industry at the national and local business levels. Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines The two-day action-planning workshop involved a lot of group discussions, where the participants were divided into four groups. Joshua Ladia, Project Officer of PCEPSDI, facilitated the exchange of ideas in one of the groups. The workshop was divided into seven activities, where participants were grouped for seamless discussion and exchange of ideas: Activity 1: Rapid Assessment of Sustainable Consumption and Production in the food service industry at the national and local government unit level Activity 2: Vision and Mission Setting on Advancing SCP in the food service industry Activity 3: Developing Strategic Objectives Activity 4: Developing the Scorecard Strategic Measures and Indicators Activity 5: Identifying and Prioritizing Strategic Actions Activity 6: Identifying and Analyzing Risks and Opportunities Activity 7: Identifying National and Local Policies and Plans to best integrate SCP in the food service industry Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines  Dominic Diaz of the Hotel & Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) presented the finance-related risks and opportunities that his group identified and analyzed. Each activity ended with a presentation of group outputs, where the four groups were assigned a specific perspective to tackle: Learning and Growth, Financial, Stakeholders, and Process. The outputs per activity were collected to synthesize the results of the workshop and to come up with the draft action plan for SCP integration in the food service industry. Dr. Neric Acosta closed the workshop by sharing his thoughts on the success of the integration of SCP principles in the food service industry. “We cannot manage those that we cannot accurately measure. This kind of workshop is very important because it allows us to gather and measure data on total consumption, consumption patterns, consumption habits, as well as on the production side – where our food comes from, what kind of products restaurants are selling, which commodities are currently present in the food service industry. Add to that, the waste generated from both consumption and production. That’s a lot of quantitative and qualitative data we need to measure and analyze and if we cannot measure them, we cannot likely manage”, says Dr. Acosta. “When it comes to relating this to environmental protection, protection really comes from valuing, and valuing comes from understanding. You cannot protect that which you cannot first truly value. Together, this is what we, as project stakeholders, need to always remember when we start rolling out our interventions for the successful implementation of SCP in the local food service industry,” he added. Photo © Pauline Abello / PCEPSDI Dr. Neric Acosta, Chairperson of PCEPSDI, closed the workshop by sharing his thoughts on how SCP principles can be successfully integrated in local dining operations. The two-day workshop served its purpose as a dynamic and interactive gathering of key stakeholders involved in the successful implementation of SCP principles not just in the three partner cities of the project – Quezon City, Cebu City, and Tagaytay City – but in the entire country. It just goes to show that when the different sectors of society work together towards a common goal, it is possible to integrate sustainability in the local food service industry and also in all the industries relevant in our country’s economic and sustainable development. The Sustainable Diner project, under World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ Sustainable Consumption and Production, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.

Quezon City’s Green Public Procurement (GPP) Task Force Completes the Advance Course Trainings for the GPP for Quezon City Project – a 10YFP SPP Programme Photo © Pauline Abello /PCEPSDI PCEPSDI Executive Director Mr. June M. Alvarez and Programmes & Project Director Engr. Maureen Grace V. Lebria with the GPP Taskforce and GPP4QC Project Team Quezon City’s inter-department GPP Task Force has completed the last capacity building training towards green purchasing on a local government setting on August 9-10, 2018 held at St. Giles Classic Hotel. The GPP Taskforce was formed to implement the GPP4QC Project activities and to provide necessary information to deliver project results that can be replicated in other local government unit. The series of training for the GPP Taskforce aims to guide them through the discussions on factors affecting the deterioration of the environment, it’s ill impact to the community and what the Taskforce can do about it, being the core group of the Green Public Procurement (GPP) initiative of Quezon City. The GPP Taskforce have gone through awareness seminars, trainings and workshops that will help them reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in line with the Quezon City’s commitment to Deadline 2020, a response to the C40 Cities to the Paris Agreement, it aims to reduce GHG emissions through low carbon projects. The four Advance Course Trainings was spearheaded by the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) in partnership with Quezon City Local Government through the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD), co-implementers of the UN Environment 10 Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) for Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Project entitled “Establishment of Green Public Procurement (GPP) for Quezon City fir the Promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the Philippines” dubbed as the GPP4QC Project. As the project targets to establish and implement a GPP Program in Quezon City and present the programme in an LGU setting. It also targets to develop a Policy Guideline and Framework, and to develop green products specification that can be used in purchasing products and contracting services for the local government. Following Quezon City’s priority, the policy guideline and framework is on-going and being reviewed by the Quezon City stakeholder. While the GPP4QC prioritized four products with the highest impact in terms of GHG reduction which includes food packaging, event, computers and laptops, and auto vehicles. The GPP4QC at its closing phase and the continuation of the Green Procurement Project for Quezon City lies on the hand of the GPP Taskforce. The Philippine Center for the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) has offered assistance to the Taskforce on their GPP initiative even after the implementation of the GPP4QC Project. The organization hopes that even the project closes, the GPP initiatives’ achievement on the implementation of the GPP4QC Project will flourish and continue towards its purpose to promote green purchasing and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the country. To know more about the Green Public Procurement (GPP) Updates please like our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/PCEPSDI/ and search for the #GPP4QC or message us at gpp4qc@gmail.com.  

Capacity Building for Quezon City Suppliers and Supply Chain held on August 1, 2018 at the Quezon City Public Library Photo © Pauline Abello / PCEPSDI PCEPSDI Programmes & Projects Director Engr. Maureen Grace V. Lebria with the QC Suppliers and Supply Chain and GPP4QC Project Team. As Quezon City Stakeholders, the GPP Project held a Capacity Building Activity for their Suppliers and Supply Chain held on August 1, 2018. The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) recognizes the direct impact of Green Public Procurement (GPP) to Quezon City suppliers and supply chain’s role in the project, a capacity building activity was held to align them with the local government’s support unto the initiative. The activity includes an introduction on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) and Green Public Procurement to make them further understand the relevance of the project to the government, community and the environment. The Green Procurement initiatives from the ASEAN region was also featured to align that there are already established programmes which are already in different levels. The event invited QC suppliers and supply chain of particular products from the following industry: food packaging, computers and laptops, events and motor vehicles. These products were based on the result of the product prioritization study. The selected products will help reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in line with the Quezon City’s commitment to Deadline 2020, a response to the C40 Cities to the Paris Agreement, it aims to reduce GHG emissions through low carbon projects. It was also the chance to present the draft technical specification for environmentally friendly products to the stakeholders whose comments are valuable to the feasibility of the draft specification. The success of the event was made possible with the assistance of the General Procurement Office and the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD), co-implementers of the UN Environment 10 Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) for Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Project entitled “Establishment of Green Public Procurement (GPP) for Quezon City for the Promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the Philippines” dubbed as the GPP4QC Project. To know more about the Green Public Procurement (GPP) Updates please like our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/PCEPSDI/ and search for the #GPP4QC or message us at gpp4qc@gmail.com.

Photo © Pauline Abello / PCEPSDI PCEPSDI Programmes & Projects Director Engr. Maureen Grace V. Lebria with the QC Department Heads and GPP4QC Project Team. As the Green Public Procurement Project for Quezon City is at its implementation phase.  A Capacity Building activity for the Quezon City Department Heads was held on July 12, 2018. The activity aims to have the Department Heads be more involved and updated on the project’s status on the development of technical specification and draft guidelines and framework for green procurement. The activity includes a brief introduction on the concept of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), and Green Public Procurement (GPP).   Quezon City has been always supportive with the Green Procurement initiative. In line with this, the QC inter-department GPP Task Force has been focused on the implementation of the project is as supportive as their department heads who attended the capacity building for green procurement. The event also featured to raise awareness on the green public procurement project for Quezon City. Another is to share that there are existing green procurement programmes in the ASEAN region to escalate the relevance of the project not just in a national level but in an international level. The success of the event was made possible through the assistance of the partnership of the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) with Quezon City Local Government through the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD), co-implementers of the UN Environment 10 Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) for Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Project entitled “Establishment of Green Public Procurement (GPP) for Quezon City for the Promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the Philippines” dubbed as the GPP4QC Project. To know more about the Green Public Procurement (GPP) Updates please like our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/PCEPSDI/ and search for the #GPP4QC or message us at gpp4qc@gmail.com.