SWITCH-Asia

WHEN:  25 September 2025     I    TIME:  14:00 - 15:30 (Bangkok Time)    I  Register here 

Background:

Achieving net zero is at the forefront of today’s most dynamic global efforts. A wide range of initiatives and programs have been launched to strengthen climate resilience and adaptive capacity in response to the climate-related risks, while steadily advancing the transition to net zero as an ultimate long-term objective. Many countries have been adopting sustainable and circular procurement as a strategic tool within their national plans to support net zero transition, drive down greenhouse gas emission, and promote sustainable growth. 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 low-carbon products, services, and business models, but also drives significant market shifts toward sustainable practices to a long-term market transformation. Green Public Procurement (GPP) incentives investments in innovative and low-carbon sustainable solutions that move beyond the immediate purchase of eco-friendly products available in the markets. Shifting strategic procurement decisions and practices is key to driving the net zero transition and fostering a resilient, low-carbon,and environmentally-conscious economy.

Webinar Session:

The EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component is convening the webinar, Leveraging Green Public Procurement for Net Zero Transition, to raise awareness and exchange information about the transformative potential of green/sustainable procurement to reducing carbon emission and net zero, highlight best practices, provide practical strategies for embedding sustainability into procurement decisions, and strengthen networks for future collaborative efforts.

About the Sustainable/Green Public Procurement Stakeholder Platform Webinar Series

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 and GHG mitigation, supporting the Net Zero Transition. 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.

Speakers:

Dr Andrew MINSON, Concrete and Sustainable Construction Director, Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA)

Andrew leads the GCCA’s work promoting the sustainability value of concrete in future construction. His role includes improving the understanding of concrete’s lifecycle and its role in the circular economy. Andrew led the Net Zero 2050 Roadmap work and the ongoing Net Zero Accelerator initiative to take global commitment to local action through national roadmaps. He has extensive experience across the built environment and is a Fellow of both Civil and Structural Engineering Institutions based in the UK.

Ferhat KERACA, Professor, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazerbayev University, Kazakhstan 

Dr. Ferhat Karaca is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Nazarbayev University (Astana, KZ), specializing in sustainable infrastructure, circular economy in the construction sector, and low-carbon transition strategies. His international research covers urban air quality, green technologies, and resilience in the built environment, while he actively collaborates with global partners and mentors future leaders to advance the net-zero agenda.
 

Isabella LOH, Chairman, Singapore Environment Council

Isabella is the chairman of the Singapore Environment Council and former president and chief executive officer (CEO) of SembCorp Environmental Management (SembEnviro) Pte. Ltd. She is also a prominent female entrepreneur. Loh made headlines when she played a key role in the development of the government-linked company, SembCorp Environmental Management. 
 

Agenda