PH Government Pushes Buying Green

The Philippine government is leading the movement to buy green through Green Public Procurement or GPP. It’s an initiative that bears on the country’s commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals put forth by the United Nations. 

Through Green Public Procurement, supplies, equipment, and services secured by public authority are subject to specificationsthat ensure reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. The Philippines’ GPP policy directs government spending in favor of green products. This stimulates demand to encourage materials-and-energy-efficient manufacturing

As the single largest buyer in the market, government procurement decisions influencethe direction that manufacturing takes. When environment-friendly processes and technologies are encouraged by public sector demand, more growth in green manufacturing is expected. Ultimately, this lowers the costs for green products, benefittingthe public, and easing pressure on the environment in the long run.

The Philippine government’s approach to GPP is in accordance with a well-established public procurement system. Recent reforms, specificallythe 2016 Revised IRR on R.A. # 9184 or The Government Procurement Reform Act, outlines rules that enable transparency and competition through the Philippine Electronic Procurement System or PhilGEPS. 

While needs assessment and contracting mechanisms remain the same, GPP provides green criteria through technical specificationsthat reduce environmental impact and over conventionally-produced goods or services. Initially, the focus will be on simple, core green criteria across twenty product categories. The criteria may expand in comprehensiveness in later years as industries adjust to government’s needs.

With greening initiatives, there’s a perception that the initial cost is big when introducing new production processes and technologies,” says Director Lydia Guevarra of the Department of Trade & Industry’s Resource Generation Management Office“Manufacturers are reluctant to switch to new energy sources like solar because of this perception. Studies have shown that benefitsare bigger in the long-term in terms of energy-savings. You become even more competitive, gaining access to more markets around the world, as compliance to green standards become the norm across ASEAN, EU, and North America.” 

The Green Public Procurement Board-Technical Support Offic(GPPB-TSO) is launching the Green Public Procurement Roadmap in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and Department of Trade and Industry. The Roadmap was developed with the Technical Support from the EU- Switch Policy Support Component Philippines of the European Union. It i’s a major milestone in the promotion of sustainable consumption and production in the Philippines. It is also considered to be a major part of the government’s long-term solutions in the adoption and mitigation of the destructive effectsof Climate Change.  “When industries go green, they contribute to climate change mitigation with reduced carbon emissions. If more eco-labelled products become available, society benefits,” Guevarra said.