Asia Pacific Green Public Procurement Partnership Project

Inception workshop – Asia Pacific Green Public Procurement Partnership Project

Organizers

• Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI)
• UN Environment, Asia Pacific Office and Economy Division
• 10 Year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP)
• Sustainable Public Procurement Programme

Project summary

The project supports the institutionalisation and implementation of green public procurement and ecolabelling of ASEAN countries through policy consultation and technical support from July 2017 to June 2019 including the preparatory period. Following are the main activities under this project:

• Preliminary survey of current status of green public procurement and eco-labelling(GPPEL) and identification of capacity building needs of developing countries in the ASEAN region¹
• Preliminary study for in-depth assessment of GPPEL status of four countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam)² and identification of two priority countries³
• Kick-off Workshop to convene a project launching ceremony; review current status and identify the gaps of GPPEL of ASEAN countries; and present a capacity building plan for pilot sectors in priority countries⁴
• Development of action plan for GPP policy consultation for two countries
• Technical assistance for the implementation of GPP based on action plan including GPP implementation in priority sectors for the respective countries Annual training workshops for two countries to share knowledge and knowhow gained from the implementation of Korea’s GPPEL
• Final Workshop to share the lessons learned, guidelines and communication materials for replication in other countries and scaling up in other sectors
• Operation of project advisory committee comprised of UN Environment Economy Division, ICLEI Europe Office, UN Environment Asia Pacific, and KEITI to provide strategic direction of the project
• Outreach (e.g. development of project flyers and project website, application for the use of 10YFP SPP Programme logo, etc.)
• Dissemination of the outcomes and lessons learned (e.g. development and dissemination of case studies for two countries and training materials)

Project overview

This project aims to build capacity of national governments in Asia-Pacific region in implementing green public procurement via the provision of policy consultation and technical assistance tailored to the needs of partner countries. The project will initially support two priority countries in the ASEAN region from 2017 to 2018. The outcomes and lessons learnt will be disseminated to other countries in the region with a possible follow-up project covering additional countries for direct GPPEL support. During the pilot phase, the project will target countries with already established GPP policy frameworks and provide support to strengthen the implementation of GPP in priority sectors5. The priority sectors vary depending on the needs of the partner countries and the market readiness.

Implementing strategies

• The project builds on the findings of the Asia Pacific Roadmap of Sustainable Consumption and Production (http://web.unep.org/asiapacific/asia-pacific-scp-roadmap) and will be implemented in line with the work plan of the 10YFP SPP Programme (work area 1: provide direct support for SPP implementation) under the guidance of the advisory committee comprised of KEITI, UN Environment AP, UN environment Economy Division, and ICLEI Europe Office.
• Throughout the project, experience and expertise gained from the implementation of green public procurement in Korea will be shared through relevant channels. During the implementation phase the selected countries will gain access to a Korean GPPEL expert and invited to take part in a study tour to Korea.
• To avoid duplication and to create synergies the project will be implemented in close coordination with key regional stakeholders/initiatives such as SWITCH Asia (Policy Advocacy Component and EU Grant projects) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
• If needed support will also be provided for partner countries to explore potential opportunities for a follow up project sponsored by institutes based in Korea (such as KEITI, KOICA and ASEIC). Such support will be dependent on national circumstances and the capacity needs of the involved partner countries. Technical support might include strengthening the capacity of producers to supply green products required by public institutes in the partner countries and establishing online green procurement system, etc.

Expected outcomes

• The project will support the institutionalisation and implementation of green public procurement and eco-labelling through policy consultation and technical support.
• Increased capacity and strengthened enabling environments in the project countries to stimulate markets for eco-friendly products and services
• Increased capacity of partner countries to implement SDG target 12.7(SPP implementation)

Timelines

¹ The countries are selected based on suggestions from donor – Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI). ² The countries are selected based on suggestions from the project advisory committee. ³ Two priority countries will be identified based on preliminary studies of four countries by the project advisory committee. The number of priority countries may changes upon the availability of funding. ⁴ Pilot sectors may include one or more sectors such as buildings and construction, electronics, etc.

Partner countries: Viet Nam and Thailand