SWITCH-Asia

WHEN:  26 September 2024     I    TIME:  15:00 - 16:30 (Bangkok Time)    I    Platform:  ZOOM   I  Register  HERE

Background:

Greening supply chain of industries, including SMEs is critical for improved productivity and macroeconomic stability in the Asia Pacific region for its long-term resource efficient, low carbon and green growth. It also protects the environment, promotes social progress, and minimizes the risk to growth that arises due to a shortage of resources and environmental externalities. Sustainable procurement can serve as a powerful catalyst for innovation and market transformation on a resource efficient greener path. By integrating sustainability criteria into procurement processes, both public and private sectors can stimulate the development and adoption of innovative solutions that address environmental and social challenges. This approach not only promotes the creation of new products, services, and business models but also drives significant market shifts toward sustainable practices by incentivizing investments in innovative and sustainable solutionsthat move beyond the immediate purchase of eco-friendly products available in the markets to a long-term market transformation. A shift in strategic procurement decisions and practices will lead a way in fostering a resilient andenvironmentally-conscious economy.

Webinar Session:

The EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component is convening the webinar, Sustainable Procurement as a Catalyst for Innovation and Market Transformation, to raise awareness about the transformative potential of sustainable procurement, highlight best practices, provide practical strategies for embedding sustainability into procurement decisions, and strengthen networks for future collaborative efforts.

The webinar series is strategically designed to equip participants with the knowledge and practical tools to leverage sustainable procurement for innovation and market transformation fostering a more resilient economy. The webinar will guide policymakers and procurement professionals in creating supportive frameworks and overcoming implementation challenges by showcasing successful examples and offering actionable insights. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of sustainable procurement's role in driving innovation, encompassing circular economy practices, reducing carbon emissions, and conserving biodiversity. Thereby, the series aims to increase awareness of best practices, facilitate knowledge exchanges, and strengthen networks among institutions towards sustainable/green public procurement.

Chair:

Zinaida Fadeeva, Team Leader, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component

Zinaida Fadeeva is the Team Leader of the Policy Support Component of the SWITCH-Asia Programme. Zinaida has over 25 years leading international professional experience in policy for and practice of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and Education for Sustainable Development, amongst others working with the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Studies of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). Her work has focused on diverse topics such as tourism, plastics, construction, small and medium enterprises, procurement and lifestyle. Zinaida has worked extensively with governments, private sector, international organisations and academia in East, South East, South and Central Asia.

Co-Chair:

Sanjay Kumar, Senior GPP Expert, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component

Sanjay Kumar has an extensive background spanning over twenty-five years in governance and leadership, focusing on Public Policy, Procurement, and Sustainability. His career includes significant contributions to the Government of India in these areas. He is the pioneering mind behind NEXGEN Procurement Solutions, a start-up aimed at revolutionizing the procurement and supply chain sectors with innovative and sustainable solutions. Kumar is actively involved in advising the EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component, guiding its Green Public Procurement (GPP) projects across various countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
 

Moderators:

Elodie MARIA-SUBE, Expert on EU policy development and partnership building at the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component 

Elodie is specialized in European Affairs related to topics of circular economy, SCP, climate change and environmental management, and has extensive experience in stakeholder consultation and engagement at the EU level, as well as with high-level officials in Ministries of Environment and Finance in Asia. For over a decade, Elodie has worked in South and South-East Asia on environment and climate change. She is currently leading the SWITCH-Asia Technical Advisory project on Sustainable/ Green Public Procurement for Transformation.

Lunchakorn Prathumratana, GPP Expert, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component

Lunchakorn is the Project Director of the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component. In her previous work she was in charge of managing and developing international collaborations in projects relating to Green Public Procurement and ECO Labels. She was also former project manager of the Thai Green Label programme and technical expert at GIZ.

Speakers

Tanya Harris, Sustainable Procurement Expert, Edge Impact

Tanya is a Sustainable Procurement and Supply Chains expert with over two decades procurement experience across private, international development and public sectors. Her work spans 25 countries, focusing on leading the development and implementation of E, S and G into governance and risk management, procurement, contract and supplier lifecycles. A founding member and contributor to the Sustainable Procurement – Guidance ISO20400, Tanya brings a practitioner lens to combine social and environmental outcomes in a practical, impactful and targeted approach for Edge Impact clients in APAC and LATAM.

Benjamin Wee, Sustainable Procurement Pledge Expert, Singapore Branch

Benjamin Wee is a seasoned leader with an extensive background in global supply chain and sustainable procurement across diverse industries, including manufacturing, food services, hospitality, tourism and financial institutions. Renowned for his adept leadership, he has a track record of driving performance turnarounds and achieving tangible results through process and quality improvement initiatives. Currently serving as a co-founder of the Climate Tech startup, PlanetWise Pte Ltd, Benjamin holds the role of Chief Sustainability Officer and product owner. In this capacity, he successfully navigated the development of carbon management solutions, steering the process from conceptualization to product launch.

Malik Atan, Green Government Procurement Technical Specialist, MGTC, Malaysia 

Mr. Abd. Malik Bin Atan has more than 25 years’ experience involving in the national energy and green technology development projects in Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) since year 1999 including Sustainable Consumption & Production (SCP)- Policy Support for Malaysia, Government Green Procurement (GGP), National Green Recognition Scheme for Certified Products & Services (MyHIJAU Mark & Directory), Green Technology Tax Incentives (Investment Tax Allowance & Income Tax Exemption), Green Industry & SME Development Program, Malaysian Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Project (MIEEIP), Energy Efficiency Projects Lending Scheme (EEPLS), Green Technology Financing Scheme (GTFS), Green Energy Revolving Fund (GERF), MGTC Green Energy Office Building,National Energy Efficiency Master Plan (NEEMP), Development of Blueprint on Green Practices & Green Technology Applications for Government Agencies and Development of Green Practices Guideline for Malaysian Industries.

Vuttichai Kaewkrajang, Director of the Environmental Analysis Center, Pollution Control Department, Thailand

Vuttichai Kaewkrajang is the Director of the Environmental Analysis Center, Pollution Control Department, Thailand and one of experts in the industrial waste section, National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). He has more than 30 years’ experience involving in 1) Policy: the national waste to energy and the national roadmap in plastic waste management including green technology development and 2) Technical/Technology: environmental modeling, watershed management, environmental analysis, waste water treatment and air pollution control, among other topics. Vuttichai has held several leadership roles, including Director of the Hazardous Substances Sub-division (2021–2024 for BRS Convention, Minamata Convention, SAICM and PRTR) and Director of Planning and Data Analysis for the Waste and Hazardous Substances Management Division (2020–2021).

Ruben van Gaalen, LCA Specialist, EcoReview

Ruben van Gaalen serves as the LCA Division Manager at EcoReview, a Netherlands-based company specializing in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for building and chemical products. EcoReview's work involves quantifying environmental impacts, providing critical data that governmental agencies use to make informed decisions on tender projects, beyond just considering price.

Eileen Torres Morale, Research Associate at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

Eileen Torres Morales is a Research Associate at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Headquarters. Her main role involves keeping track of the newest technological developments that are steering the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in heavy industries like iron, steel and cement. This work has closely linked her to Green Public Procurement policies, particularly in the construction and transport sectors. Eileen holds a Master's degree in Sustainable Energy Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.

Agenda: