SWITCH-Asia

WHEN:  3 April 2025     I    TIME:  14:00 - 15:30 (Bangkok Time)    I    Register  HERE

Background:

Large-scale infrastructure and construction projects are growing in many big cities in the Asia-Pacific region to provide a better livelihood and enhance connectivity of people, including high rise buildings for industries and residence, large highways and roads for land transport, mass transit and railways, and renewable/non-renewable power stations offshore and onshore. These extensive and complex projects involve multiple components and phases, requiring a significant amount of goods and services. Through a sustainable and circular procurement, a positive impact on resources efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction can be substantially achieved thus promoting long-term green and circular growthin the region. This can also protect the environment, promote social progress, and minimize 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 and circularity 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 for a to a long-term market transformation, by incentivizing investments in innovative and sustainable solutionsthat move beyond the immediate purchase of eco-friendly products available in the markets. A shift in strategic procurement decisions and practices will lead the way in fostering a resilient and environmentally-conscious economy.

Webinar Session:

The EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component is convening the webinar, Enhancing Circularity in Procurement of Infrastructure Projects, to raise awareness about the transformative potential of sustainable and circular procurementparticularly in the Construction and Building sector, address challenges, highlight best practices, provide practical strategies for embedding sustainability into procurement decisions, and strengthen networks for future collaborative efforts.

The webinar series, hosted by the EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component, is designed to help participants understand the relevance of sustainable procurement practices as well as present tools for enhancing circularity in procuring infrastructure projects. The webinar will guide policymakers and procurement professionals in creating supportive frameworks and overcoming implementation challenges in integrating circularity principles in purchasing decisions 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.

Agenda