A green public procurement project that will promote the use of environment-friendly products and services in the market was launched by different government agencies and other institutions.
The launch was highlighted by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the “Pilot Project for the Implementation of Green Public Procurement among selected Government Institutions” participated in by Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Analiza Teh, Budget Executive Director Estanislao Granados, Trade and Industry Undersecretary Zenaida Malaya, Energy Undersecretary Loreta Ayson, Industrial Technology Development Institute Director Nuna Almanzor of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc. (PCEPSDI) Dr. Nereus Acosta; Dr. Lilia De Lima of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA); Antonio Kalaw, Jr. of Development Academy of the Phlippines (DAP); Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, and Shantanu Roy of the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN).
The Departments of Environment and Natural Resoures, Trade and Industry, Energy, PCEPSDI, DAP and IGPN form part of the Board of the National Eco-labelling Program of the Philippines-Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP), which promotes Green Procurement by educating institutional and individual consumers on using environment-friendly products and services.
In a speech read by Teh, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje expressed optimism that the signing of the MoU would hasten the implementation of the Green Procurement Program in the public sector, which he described as the country’s biggest consumer of goods and services.
“With the MoU, and with government being the country’s biggest consumer of goods and services, we hope to encourage more companies, especially small and medium enterprises, to shift to environment-friendly business practices, provide choices by making green products and delivering green services not only for the government’s supply chain but for every consumer in the country as well,” Paje said.
The Green Procurement Program of the government was established by virtue of Executive Order No. 301 issued in 2004.
However, Paje noted the difficulty of government agencies in implementing the directive “due to inadequate supply of environmentally-preferable products and services.”
Green procurement refers to patronizing goods and services that have less environmental impact, aside from considering their price and quality. The project is also seen to form part of government’s long-term solutions in adopting and mitigating the destructive effects of climate change.
Under the MoU, the DENR, DBM, PEZA, DTI, DoST, DoE and Quezon City government will undergo training on Green Procurement and enlist the participation of all officials, related offices, businesses and other stakeholders involved in their supply chain. They will also assist the PCEPSDI, which acts as the NELP-GCP Secretariat, in data gathering, report preparation, and promotion and advocacy campaign for the Green Procurement Program.
