assist now q2 2012 e-newsletter

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ASSIST is also on

IN THIS ISSUE

ASSIST participates at the 45th Annual ADB AGM

sia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST)

is proud to have participated in the 45th Annual Governors’ Meeting of the

Asian Development Bank held at the Philippine International Convention

Center (PICC) in Manila last May 2 to 5, 2012.

The event gathered more than 4,000 delegates, including ministers of finance and develop‐

ment, bankers, and members of the private sector, the academe, civil society, and the media

to discuss ADB’s mission, under the theme Inclusive Growth through Better Governance and

Partnerships.

In cooperation

with

the

ADB

NGO

and

Civil

Society

Center

(ADB

NGOC),

ASSIST

launched

the

Click: Capturing Images of Inclusive Growth (see related article on next page), entries for

which were exhibited at the venue. ASSIST also co‐organized for the Solutions Market: Inno‐

vative Ideas for Inclusive Growth, a program for Civil Society Organizations interested in

learning about innovation in development work.

The Solutions Market program aimed to 1) showcase the important role CSOs play in sus‐

tainable development and the wealth of knowledge held by CSOs, (2) provide a venue for

the generation and sharing of ideas and catalyze new partnerships among the Annual Meet‐

ing attendees and CSOs (3) promote participation to support the theme.

The day‐long program was hosted by broadcast journalist Karen Davila and graced by Sena‐

tors Francis

Escudero

and

Richard

Gordon,

who

spoke

on

inspiring

leadership

and

youth,

and innovation in campaigns, respectively. Several NGOs, including Gifts and Graces, VSO

Bahaginan, MyShelter Foundation and the Sesame Workshop also presented about their

efforts in introducing new solutions in their organization.

A

UPDATES ON OUR INITIATIVES 2‐3 ADB NGOC Click Updates

4 –5 ASSIST Philippine projects

6‐7 EU Switch Asia Projects

8‐9 ASSIST Mekong

10‐11 ASSIST SEA engagements

12‐13 Commentary,

ASSIST Engagements

Tapped as event organizer

VOL 3 ISSUE 1 APR-JUNE 2012

I m a g e f r o m m o f . g o . j p

J&H holds stakeholders meeting,

last barangay forum

ASSIST holds SME Leader’s Forum

for PROSPECT

‐EnMS

4th Annual

Merck

Safety

Summit

features ASSIST

8

13

4



he ADB NGO and Civil Society Center (ADB NGOC)

and the Asia Society for Social Improvement and

Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) are pleased

to announce the winners of Click: Capturing Images of

Inclusive Growth a photo contest launched in partner‐

ship with the ADB NGO and Civil Society Center for the

45th Annual Meeting at Philippine International Con‐

vention Center last May 2 to 5, 2012.

Soni Ramesh of India bagged the First Prize in the Amateur

Category,

while

India’s

Partha

Pratim

Saha

and

Canada’s

Mi‐

chel Lagueux won Second and Third, respectively. Meanwhile

winners in the Professional Category are Joel Forte (First

Place, see photo below)) of the Philippines, Dani Pozo (Second

Place) of Spain, and Pansiri Pikunkaew (Third Place) of Thai‐

land.

Judges include Raffy Lerma, senior photojournalist from the

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rouelle Umali, senior photojournal‐

ist from Xinhua News Agency, Chris Morris, Head of the ADB

NGOC and the ASSIST team.

ASSIST also held a popularity contest at the venue of the ADB

Annual Meet, during which the attendees cast their votes.

The winners were Dani Pozo for the Professionals, and Muk‐

herjee Sandipan for the Amateurs.

Carrying the theme Achieving Inclusive Growth through Part‐

nerships in a World of Seven Billion, the competition calls for

"images that capture the challenges that the world of seven

billion faces, as well as the efforts being taken by various

stakeholders – governments, non‐profits, industries and the

communities – to resolve them, with inclusive growth as the

overarching theme."

Through this initiative for the ADB NGO Center, ASSIST hopes

to educate, alert, and more importantly, inspire people to act.

Entries to the photo competition showed any or a combina‐

tion of the following themes: Addressing Climate Change,

Gender and

Development,

and

Managing

the

Effects

of

Disas

‐ters and Food Security.

The winning photographs may be viewed at the http://

www.assistasia.wordpress.com/adb‐ngoc‐photo‐contest/.

Click Photo Contest winners announced

2

T

http://www.assistasia.wordpress.com/adb-ngoc-photo-contest/














3

Sights from

the ADB

Annual

Meeting

2012

May 2 to 4,

2012

PICC

Complex,

Manila



he Justice and Healing Project conducted a stake‐

holders forum

and

the

last

of

its

15

barangay

fo

‐

rums last June 14 and June 26, 2012, respectively.

The Stakeholders’ Meeting gathered representatives from

the Project Team as well as the Department of Social Wel‐

fare and Development, Philippine Commission on Women,

and the European Commission, to discuss experiences from

past barangay forums, sustainability of anti‐VAW advocacy,

and the commitments of duty‐bearers.

The barangay forum, on the other hand, convened officials

and women’s advocates from Brgys. 169 and 172 in Mali‐

bay, Pasay

City,

with

the

help

of

the

Soroptomists

Interna

‐

tional.

After Olive Tripon of Women’s Feature Service introduced

the Project and the implementers, Lilibeth Santos and

Anamabel Garcia of the Women’s Crisis Center (WCC) pre‐

sented on the insights of service providers from their experi‐

ences in handling cases of gender‐based violence.

Meanwhile Atty. Claire Luczon and Women’s Legal Educa‐

tion, Advocacy and Defense Foundation, Inc. (WomenLEAD)

discussed on the various laws on violence against women.

Finally, Meg

Yarcia

of

ASSIST

led

the

workshop

which

saw

the barangay officials presenting what they are currently

doing, and promise to do, in addressing cases of violence

against women.

Through the forum, the Project Team hoped to engage vari‐

ous groups – the police, barangay officials, and women’s

rights advocates in a discussion to address violence against

women (VAW) and the long journey in seeking justice and

healing.

Supported by the European Union through the European

Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), The

Justice and Healing project seeks to strengthen the compo‐

nents of the justice system to deliver rights‐based and gen‐

der‐sensitive services using the Justice and Healing perspec‐

tive with respect to the VAW cases.

The

project

is

implemented

by

WFS,

WCC,

WomenLEAD,

and ASSIST.

T

Justice and Healing holds stakeholders meeting, last barangay forum

(Above left) Barangay officials from Brgys. 169 and 172 Malibay,

Pasay

discuss

their

current

practices

in

dealing

with

victims

of

gen‐

der ‐based violence for discussion in the workshop. (right) Members

of the Project Team Meg Yarcia of ASSIST, Anamabel Garcia and

Lilibeth Santos of WCC, Atty. Claire Luczon of WomenLEAD, and

Olive Tripon of WFS pose with Mar Raynera of the European Union

(fifth from left).

4



5 5 Project EMPOWERing features LGU stakeholders and local partners

SSIST representatives met with seven local government

unit (LGU) stakeholders in Misamis Oriental, Northern

Mindanao and two local partners during the Project

EMPOWERing visit last May 10 to 12, 2012.

The visit was conducted to collect and document initial data and

information for the case studies covering different LGUs in

Misamis Oriental: Cagayan de Oro City, Laguindingan, El Salvador,

Opol, Togolan, Jasaan, and Medina.

On May 10, ASSIST held a luncheon meeting with the CDO Project

Team, Xavier University, Department of Interior and Local Gov‐

ernment Region 10, and STEAG, one of the funders of the project.

The next two days featured the visit to the LGUs, who were pro‐

vided information on the following areas: brief socio‐economic

profile of their localities, project composition team; status of the

project implementation;

initial

benefits

of

the

project;

challenges

encountered and initial lessons learned; and plan to sustain the

project after the PPP project.

ASSIST Partnership

and

Network

Management

Director

Kamesh

Ganeson, Services Manager Matthias Wichmann and Projects

and Grants Management Associate Marivic Mamaradlo joined

the visit.

Project EMPOWERing: or Project Enhanced Monitoring System

on Poverty Watch for a more Effective and Responsive Approach

in Governance is a PPP project jointly funded by DEG and STEAG

and implemented by Xavier University, Community‐Based Moni‐

toring System (CBMS) Network Coordinating Team, DILG and

ASSIST. The project has been running since October 2011.

EMPOWERing focuses on updating the database and information

system of

the

Planning

Offices

of

Cagayan

de

Oro

City

in

Misamis

Oriental.

The remaining 6 municipalities served as pilot communities for

the implementation of the Community‐Based Monitoring System

(CBMS), a tool of strategic importance to the industrialization

and eco‐tourism potential of Northern Mindanao.

A

SSIST and the Department of Interior and Local Gov‐

ernment

(DILG)

conducted

a

training

on

proper

data

encoding and digitizing for representatives of par‐

ticipating LGUs last May 7 to 10, 2012, at Xavier Univer‐

sity in Cagayan de Oro City.

Led by the DILG’s Regional Office Trainer, the event marks the

second phase of CBMS development under the EMPOWERing

project. Through proper encoding and digitizing procedures,

stakeholders can ensure validation and appropriate interpreta‐

tion of collected data.

Throughout the event, the enumerators of LGU beneficiaries

from Opol, Laguindingan, El Salvador, Jasaan, Medina and

Tagoloan were

provided

with

practical

training

on

how

to

input

the collected data into the CBMS software.

In preparation for the event, GIS utilization training sessions were

also conducted, along with a Basic ArcGIS workshop organized for

Cagayan de Oro last April 26 to 27, 2012, and an Open Source GIS

Training for Opol, El Salvador, Laguindingan, Jasaan, Tagoloan

and Medina on May 2 to 4, 2012. Last March 6 to 8 also saw a

Turnover Ceremony of computer software and hardware for the

project.

A

ASSIST holds training on CBMS data encoding for EMPOWERing LGUs



6 Zero Carbon Resorts ends Second Phase with a Conference

he push

for

a more

energy

efficient

tourism

in

‐

dustry in the province of Palawan continues. The

Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) project now concluded

the second phase through the Replace Phase Confer‐

ence held May 14, 2012.

Recognizing the boom in Palawan’s tourism industry, ZCR aims

to promote a sustainable, ecologically sound basis for future

development. The REPLACE phase of the project constitutes its

second tier and focuses on replacing inefficient fossil‐based

technologies with more energy‐efficient alternatives.

In the

conference,

experts

presented

a wide

range

of

topics

on

energy efficiency. Dr. Robert Wimmer of GrAT (Center for Ap‐

propriate Technologies or Gruppe Angepasste Technologie),

Project Lead of ZCR, gave updates about the project and dis‐

cussed appropriate technology solutions.

Dr. Guillermo Zaragoza, from the Plataforma Solar de Almeria,

discussed the potentials of renewable energy, while giving em‐

phasis on solar energy. Finally Engr. Eric Raymundo, Senior Lo‐

cal Technician of GrAT, presented several measures and tech‐

nologies that would help in the reduction of energy consump‐

tion, thus, leading to abated energy bills and less carbon emis‐

sions.

Raymundo particularly stressed the long‐term savings compa‐

nies can achieve by investing in energy‐efficient technology.

Meanwhile, Engr. Melchor Jaramilla addressed the popular be‐

lief that

sustainable

options

always

come

at

a higher

price

by

giving examples of low‐cost innovations such as a solar water

heater made of locally available materials. Engr. Bernardo

Ocampo then introduced the audience to the “Light from

Waste” technology.

Ms. Anita Salayon presented the Green Financing Program of

the Development Bank of the Philippines and showed how it

provides financing and technical assistance to industries and

local government units (LGUs) in order to support investments

in environmentally‐friendly processes and systems.

Several

members

of

the

FG

told

their

success

stories

and

intro‐

duced already achieved victories. Ms. Evelyn Tan Banzon, the

owner of The Tropical Sun Inn, for example, proudly presented

the changes she and her team conducted. In both the REDUCE

and the REPLACE phase of the project’s implementation signifi‐

cant reductions in the consumption of electricity have been

realized. The money savings will now be used for further im‐

provements, such as the implementation of a rainwater collec‐

tion system or a system to make use of natural day lighting in

order to avoid the use of electric lights during daytime.

The conference also showcased eco‐friendly, open‐market

products., and featured giving awards were given to the best

performing Frontier

Group

members.

1. Mr. Ruben “Butch” F. Tan Jr., Chairman/CEO, Daluyon Beach

and Mountain Resort

T

please turn to page 15



9 7

fter 72

companies

completed

the

first

phase

of

the project , the Green Philippines Islands of Sus‐

tainability (GPIoS) project renewed its commitment to

assist companies in their quest towards greater re‐

source efficiency, less energy consumption and greener

supply chains.

The GPIoS Project Team conducted leveled‐up consulting ac‐

tivities and workshop on three new topics:

Energy Management and Efficiency Techniques, a discussion

on contemporary approaches on Energy Management Systems

and efficiency

practices,

coupled

with

tools

and

metrics

to

aid

practitioners in their effort of achieving energy efficiency tar‐

gets;

Carbon Footprint Calculations and Techniques, an apprecia‐

tion course covering the fundamentals and concepts of carbon

inventory, and

Life Cycle Analysis and Eco‐Design, a workshop on the Life

Cycle Framework and the challenge to “loop in” waste and

excess materials, through creative means within their proc‐

esses

The Energy Management and Efficiency Techniques Workshop

was held in Berjaya and City Garden Hotel in Makati City, on

May 2 and 9, 2012.

The workshop started with welcome remarks from the GPIoS

project head Dr. Thomas Dielacher, followed by an introduc‐

tion to Energy Management Systems by Mr. Christian Anger‐

bauer and Engr. Rolando Sumabat, both energy experts and

technical consultants.

Afterwards,

Mr.

Joshua

Albarina

intro

‐duced the attendees to the Energy Switch tool, which provides

an easy to use way of handling Energy Management.

The highlight of the workshop was the interactive discussion

on “Efficiency Enhancement”, covering lighting, compressed

air, air conditioning, motors, pumps and blowers. Group exer‐

cises helped companies compute their potential savings which

are attainable by implementing efficiency techniques in their

respective systems.

Meanwhile, the Carbon Footprint Calculations Workshop held

last March 4 and 7 introduced the participants to ways to com‐

pute their

carbon

emissions

based

on

their

operations

and

practices.

Finally, the Life Cycle Analysis and Eco‐Design workshop began

with Dr. Dielacher discussing the topic of life cycle thinking.

Mr. Angerbauer then led life cycle assessment exercise which,

among others, covered simple life cycle assessments of various

lamps and calculations designed to find the best lamp for every

purpose.

The second part covered Eco‐Design and featured two interac‐

tive exercises: creating an eco‐friendly and money‐saving pack‐

aging for

a product,

and

using

the

online

Eco

‐Design

pilot

tool

to assess a product’s life cycle and ultimately to come up with

corresponding eco‐design measures.

GPIoS is a project supported by the European Union’s SWITCH

Asia program and implemented by ASSIST, GrAT of Austria,

Czech Republic’s University of Ostrava (VSB), Austria Recycling

(AREC), Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc. (PCCI), European

Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), Philippine

Business for the Environment (PBE) and STENUM.

It seeks to contribute to an improved environmental and sus‐

tainable industrial development of Metro Manila and CALA‐

BARZON regions by introducing measures to save on energy,

cut down on wastage and promote best environmental prac‐

tices within organizations.

A

GPIoS welcomes second phase through workshop series



ASSIST holds SME Leader’s Forum for PROSPECT‐EnMS

s part of the Promote Sustainable Program of energy

Consumption Through Energy Management System

(PROSPECT‐EnMS), ASSIST and its project partners held

three SME Leader’s Forums in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi

Minh City in Vietnam, from June 6 to June 8, 2012.

Slated to run from March 2012 to August 2013, PROSPECT‐

EnMS is a Public‐Private Partnership project jointly imple‐

mented by DEG, TUV NORD Vietnam and ASSIST. It ultimately

takes into account the challenge the Vietnamese economy

faces today: balancing environmental sustainability with the

goal of maintaining socio‐economic growth.

This balancing

act

can

only

be

performed

by

successfully

tack

‐ling the country’s mostly inefficient use of energy. ASSIST and

its project partners aim at improving energy management

among local SMEs through the implementation of EnMS and

energy efficiency best practices, which will contribute to Green

House Gas emission reduction and therefore put the country’s

future development on an environmentally sustainable basis.

The SME Leaders’ Forums gathered some 80 representatives of

Vietnamese SMEs as well as from governmental bodies. The

implementation parties were represented by TUV NORD Viet‐

nam Project Director Le Sy Trung, ASSIST Mekong Regional

Director Aru David, and ASSIST Lead Consultant G. Krishnaku‐

mar. Besides introducing the project, the management team

provided an overview of ISO 50001 and the selection criteria

for 10 pilot SMEs, which will serve as showcase for the success‐

ful implementation of Energy Management Systems.

The events were graced by the presence of Nguyen Kinh Luan,

from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (VNEEP), Vu Thi Bich

Hau, the Vice Director from the Department of Science of

Technology in Da Nang and representatives of ENERTEAM.

They gave the attendees a broad insight into their comprehen‐

sive experiences

with

regard

to

current

issues

of

energy

con

‐sumption in Vietnam and the question of how to manage en‐

ergy systems efficiently.

The program also featured, among others, a comprehensive

Training of Trainers’ program, the provision of gap assessment

sessions and technical assistance for the pilot SMEs, the devel‐

opment of an Energy Management Systems Handbook and a

Certification Program for Energy Managers.

A

SSIST Managing Director Sreenivas Narayanan and

Puma’s Global Director for SAFE Supply Chain Dr.

Reiner Hengstmann led the Technical Assistance Buy

‐in Workshop for the Footwear Division under the CON‐

SERV

Project

last

May

11,

2012

in

Long

An,

Vietnam.

CONSERV, or Conservation of Environment Resources in Viet‐

nam, is an initiative co‐financed by German donor DEG and

implemented by PUMA SE and ASSIST. It seeks to promote re‐

source efficiency and waste management practices among

Vietnam’s textile, garment and leather factories.

Forty‐two representatives from Puma’s footwear supply chain

attended the workshop, whose highlights include Dr.

Hengstmann’s presentation on the environmental profit and

loss as a strategic and decision‐making tool, Sreeni’s discussion

of the Site Assessment and Technical Assistance Program of the

CONSERV Project,

and

Project

Consultant

Tran

Van

Nhan’s

in

‐troduction to the Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production

(RECP) model.

After the workshop, CONSERV intends to hold a Site Assess‐

ment series for 16 Puma suppliers.

CONSERV holds buy‐in workshop for Puma’s Footwear Division

A

8



Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production ToT held for CONSERV

ONSERV also held three Training of Trainer (ToT)

Workshops last April 9‐11, 12‐14 and 16‐18.

Conducted to help the Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Pro‐

duction (RECP)

team

in

factories

understand

the

basic

con

‐

cept of RECP and PDCA methodology, the training sessions

also focused on techniques to save energy, water, and man‐

age waste and hazardous chemical safety. They were led by

Senior Cleaner Production Expert Dinh Manh Thang,

Cleaner Production Expert Nguyen Le Hang and Tran Duc

Chung, along with Puma Project Manager Edel Enit and

Hongkong‐based Sustainability Manager Sonja Gottschlich.

Covered by the program were the three different divisions

of Textile, Garments and Leather industry: Footwear, Acces‐

sories and Apparel. Aside from the traditional knowledge

transfer, the

training

program

also

incorporates

experience

‐

sharing, case study and field trip to the factories on the

third day. This way, the trainees found opportunities for

applying their knowledge in finding potential improvements

and conducting internal audit at their own factories.

CONSERV is an initiative co‐financed by German donor DEG

and implemented by PUMA SE and ASSIST. It seeks to pro‐

mote resource efficiency and waste management practices

among Vietnam’s textile, garment and leather factories. The

17‐month

project

will

feature

awareness

‐raising

and

capac

‐ity‐building while contributing to sustainable development

in the country.

C

SHARE Project gathers stakeholders in Cambodia

HARE (Sustainable, Hygenic, and Resource Effi‐

ciency for Cambodians) held its first Multi‐

stakeholder Discussion in Phnom Penh and Siem

Reap in Cambodiana Hotel and Somadevi Angkor, re‐

spectively last

June

28

and

29,

2012.

Through the activity, project partners ASSIST Mekong and

BAYER Material Science (Thailand, Cambodia), aimed to com‐

prehensively review the current scenarios in agro‐ and seafood

drying industries.

Bayer presented an overview of the advanced solar green‐

house dryer concept. From these initial discussions, gaps,

needs, challenges and opportunities were brought forward to

guide project implementation.

SHARE is

an

18

‐month

initiative

that

seeks

to

promote

a dra

‐matic improvement on the practice of drying agricultural pro‐

duce and seafood by installing pilot solar dryers. This project

will also increase the local technical know‐how and attract and

motivate other relevant stakeholders to engage in the venture.

Bayer Thai Company Ltd Managing Director Celina Chew wel‐

comed the participants, while Dr. Meas Pyseth from the Minis‐

try of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries presented the impor‐

tance of solar dryer in Cambodia. Bayer Thai General Manager

Veeralakshmanan Bagavathi then introduced the project me‐

chanics. Finally, Silpakorn University Associate Professor pre‐

sented the history of solar dryer technology and how it re‐

duced the

post

‐harvest

loss

in

Thailand.

Following the activity, the project implementers will select four

interest cooperatives and communities to install the solar dry‐

ers. One will be installed in Royal University of Agriculture.

S

9

The SHARE Project hopes to introduce eco‐sensitive solar dryer

technology to the agro‐ and seafood drying industries.



s part of the SHIFT Indonesia Project, ASSIST led the

GREEN IT

and

Certified

Data

Security

Specialist

(CDSS)

Training Program in Bandung, Indonesia last April 16 and

April 17‐19, respectively.

Information Technology (IT) specialists from Telkom subsidiaries

participated in the two training programs. The attendees were

selected from the earlier 3‐day technical training program on

ISMS and PCI DSS to ensure that they already have sufficient

background and technical experience needed for implementing

the standards and conducting echo trainings.

At the first event, participants were introduced to the concept

of the Green IT as well as the business benefits of adopting it as

a strategy.

The

CDSS

Training

Program,

on

the

other

hand,

pro

‐

vided the participants with knowledge on how to develop and

certify local trainers on data security, emphasizing on compe‐

tency enhancement of IT professionals on requirements for

complying with ISO 27001 and PCI DSS standards.

Moreover, Mr. Kamesh Ganeson, ASSIST’s Partnerships and Net‐

work Management served as the speaker for the Green IT event

while Ms. Daksha Malli, Team Leader for Compliance, Institute

for Information

Security

(IIS)

led

the

discussion

on

the

CDSS

Training Program.

In the long run, the CDSS training program aims to enhance the

sustainability of the SHIFT Indonesia project by developing local

capacity on international standards on information security.

Meanwhile, the Green IT training is an additional training intro‐

duced by ASSIST and PT TUV Rheinland Indonesia to introduce

the latest initiatives on making IT industries environmentally‐

responsible.

The two training sessions served as wrap up activities for the

Project SHIFT Indonesia. In May, the project leaders are plan‐

ning to

hold

the

Best

Practice

Forum.

SHIFT Indonesia is a PPP that aims to qualify and ensure compli‐

ance of merchants and other service providers with interna‐

tional security standards, norms and procedures, especially PCI

DSS and ISO 27001.

The initiative is supported by German development bank DEG.

A

ASSIST facilitates the GREEN IT and CDSS Training Program

10

Green and Safe PPP web portal launched

he web portal for the Green and Safe initiative,

www.greensafechina.org is

up

(see

screenshot

below).

Green and Safe is a 18‐month Public‐Private Partnership pro‐

ject co‐financed by DEG and implemented by ASSIST and

DEKRA WIT. It recognizes China’s emergence as the biggest car

market in the world and the challenges that this development

brings.

Through the development of a “Green and Safe” guidelines,

the initiative addresses the existing knowledge gap with regard

to energy efficiency, waste, disposal, recycling programs and

health and safety aspects among auto dealers.

The newly launched project web portal serves as a venue to

reach a wider audience for green and safe practices in the

automotive and repair sector industry. Besides delivering pro‐

ject information and updates, it will also publish the project‐

newsletter “Accelerate”.

In order to further facilitate the introduction of sustainable

practices, an

e‐learning

kit

is

currently

being

developed.

The

kit

will contain the Green and Safe Guideline and capability build‐

ing materials aimed at further encouraging self ‐

implementation.

T

http://www.greensafechina.org/

http://www.greensafechina.org/



11

ffirming their commitment to promote sustainable

development in the Philippines, ASSIST, Develop‐

ment Bank of the Philippines (DBP), European

Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) and the

Environmental Management

Bureau

of

the

Department

of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB‐DENR)

signed a memorandum of agreement for the Green Fi‐

nancing project last April 12, 2012 at the DBP Executive

Lounge.

Green Financing aims to support environment‐friendly proc‐

esses and systems such as cleaner production, waste minimiza‐

tion, resource conservation, and energy efficiency. For this

project, DBP earmarked P20.6B for industries and local govern‐

ment units to use on green initiatives.

DBP Program Development Head Vice President Paul Lazaro

welcomed the attendees, after which ASSIST Managing Direc‐

tor Sreeni Narayanan, EMB‐DENR Director Atty. Juan Miguel

Cuna ECCP President Hubert D’ Aboville and ADFIAP Secretary

General Octavio Peralta signed the partnership agreement.

In his closing remarks, DBP President and CEO Francisco F. Del

Rosario Jr. commended the partners for their collaboration

especially in this effort for sustainable development.

ASSIST Executive Director Murali, Group Executive Matthias

Wichmann, Group Associate Mahnaz Zanganeh and Projects

and Grants Management Associate Melba Tutor were also pre‐

sent.

A

ASSIST, DBP, ECCP, EMB‐DENR and ADFIAP sign partnership agreement

n collaboration with members of Energy Efficiency

Practitioners of the Philippines (ENPAP) (see photo

of auditors above), ASSIST conducted eight energy audits

in Metro Manila and Cebu last March 3 to June 17.

The energy audits are part of ConservePhil, a two‐year public‐

private partnership (PPP) jointly implemented by the Asia Soci‐

ety for Social Improvement and Sustainable Improvement

(ASSIST) and TUV Rheinland Philippines, in cooperation with GIZ,

on behalf of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation

and Development.

It

aims

to

support

local

retailers

in

achieving

energy efficiency by benchmarking international standards and

best practices.

The audits featured an assessment of energy data and an evalua‐

tion of the personnel’s practices. For the assessment, the audi‐

tors looked at such factors as operating hours of mechanical

equipment, electricity bills and operational schedules.

ConservePhil’s efforts will culminate in an energy audit report

which will be provided to the respective retailers and will foster

the decision‐makers’ understanding of the effects of employee

practices and the existing operational equipment on energy con‐

sumption. In addition, the experts will provide the retailers with

case‐specific recommendation to support them in implementing

energy‐saving processes and/or equipment.

Participating retailers were: Automatic Center, Watch Republic,

Premium Concepts, Royal Pictures, Regalong Pambahay, Pen‐

shoppe, Gaisano, Country Mall and Asia Temp Glass. Meanwhile,

the implementing parties were represented by Projects and

Grants Management Associate Marivic Mamaradlo, from ASSIST,

and Richard Uy and Ramon Cruz, from ENPAP.

Energy audits led by ASSIST and ENPAP for ConservePhil

Representatives of ASSIST, DBP, ECCP, EMB‐DENR and ADFIAP were

present to forge the partnership for Green Financing.

I

http://www.assistasia.org/






























his September marks the Global Overshoot Day , which

signals that the resources demanded and the waste pro‐

duced already exceed the amount the biosphere can re‐

generate and absorb. In other words, from that day on we are

living ‘on credit’ from Mother Earth‐ consuming more than what

is available for us.

If we continue on the course estimated by

moderate United Nations projections for

increasing population and consumption,

Global Footprint Network data show that

we need the capacity of two Earths to keep up with our level of

demand before

mid

‐century.

The

ones

to

pay

for

this

debt

are

the biosphere and the generations to come; as an old Native

American saying goes: “We did not inherit this planet – we bor‐

rowed it from our future generations”.

The two main culprits for this reckless behavior have recently

been cited by a report of the Royal Society chaired by Nobel prize

‐winning biologist Sir John Sulston. The report postulates that if

we intent to avoid “a downward spiral of economic and environ‐

mental ills”, we face the imperative to quickly stabilize

both world population and high consumption patterns in rich

countries.

It, however,

acknowledges

that

these

two

factors

are

not

identi

‐

cal in importance, as the sheer number of people on earth is not

as significant as their inequality and how much they consume. In

other words, we would be able to feed 7 billion people, if not one

small portion of them would not claim the biggest chunk of re‐

sources available. The report adds that "in material terms, it will

be necessary for most developed countries to abstain from cer‐

tain sorts of consumption…[one does] not need to be consuming

so much to have a long and healthy life.”

This falls perfectly in line with the findings of the American psy‐

chologist Tim Kasser, who identified a connection between an

excessively materialistic outlook and increased levels of anxiety

and depression, and political scientist Robert Putman, who ar‐

gues that we're paying the ultimate price for our consumerist

tendencies with the loss of friendships, neighborly support and

robust communities.

Together, they suggest that we are witnessing nothing short of the collapse of social fabric across society. This perception is also

backed by a recent study published in the Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences. Author Richard Easterlin reveals

that the dramatic explosion of per capita income in China did not

trigger a noticeable rise in happiness among its people. In fact, as

China developed from one of the most egali‐

tarian societies to one with the biggest differ‐

ences in income and accumulated wealth,

people are nowadays less content with their

lives than in 1990.

Given the gaping – and further widening – differences in con‐

sumption patterns/

wealth

we

face

globally,

it

would

be

highly

cynical to demand lower consumption for the human population

as a whole. The Royal Societies’ report acknowledges this con‐

cern and henceforth does not call for a uniform reduction in con‐

sumption but for a more egalitarian consumption pattern on a

global scale.

T

COMMENTARY

Overshoot

Sebastian Reichmann

Intern

“We did not inherit this planet

– we borrowed it from our fu‐

ture generations”.

please turn to next page

ASSIST joins the Asia Clean Energy Forum 2012

SSIST

is

pleased

to

have

joined

the

seventh

Asia

Clean

Energy Forum, held last June 4 to 8 at the ADB Head‐

quarters in Manila, Philippines, along with more than 800

stakeholders from 55 countries.

The event was hosted with the overarching theme

“Accelerating Low‐Carbon Energy for All”. It served as a unique

platform for

dialogue

between

private,

public

and

government

stakeholders on the implementation and development of Clean

Energy programs in Asia. Furthermore, it provided the atten‐

dees with updates on existing clean energy initiatives and on

the state and availability of clean energy funding facilities.

The weeklong program was highlighted by sessions led by dis‐

tinguished panelists, such as Haruhiko Kuroda of the Asian De‐

velopment Bank (ADB), Cliff Polycarp of the World Resources

Institute, and Mary Ann Lucille Sering, Climate Change Commis‐

sion of the Philippines, who discussed such pressing topics as

“Financing Sustainability and Enabling Profitability”, “Clean En‐

ergy

Access

in

South

Asia”

or

“Clean

Cooking

Solutions

for

the

Poor”.

ASSIST was represented by Managing Director Sreeni Naraya‐

nan, Partnership and Network Management Director Kamesh

Ganeson and Group Associate Mahnaz Zanganeh.

A

12



15 4th Annual Merck Safety Summit features ASSIST

SSIST joined the 4th Annual Merck Safety Sum‐

mit, held June 1 at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay

City, along with representatives from private

companies, hospitals, academe, government agen‐

cies and NGOs.

The event gathered more than 500 participants in order to

raise awareness towards the importance of safe handling

of chemical waste and, in a broader context, of waste man‐

agement.

It featured several Plenary Sessions led by distinguished

experts in this field, such as Dr. Ulrich Billerbeck, Director

and Safety Engineer from Merck Germany, whose keynote

speech was on “Waste Management with Safe Handling of

Chemicals”.

A

13

Sadly, we undoubtedly face the globalization of the con‐

sumer culture which became so omnipresent in North Amer‐

ica, Europe, Japan and some other parts of the world. This

trend is exemplified by an explosive growth of consumption

in developing countries, a fact that is eagerly emphasized by

Western media. If not put in the right context, reports on the

widespread and dire poverty to be found

these places are likely to produce a highly

distorted presentation of reality.

It must be noted that the 12% of the

world’s population living in North America

and Western Europe account for 60% of

private consumption spending, while the

one‐third living in South Asia and sub‐Saharan Africa account

for only 3.2 %. While as many as 2.8 billion people on the

planet struggle to survive on less than $2 a day, 825 million

people are still undernourished and the average person in

the industrial world took in 10% more calories daily in 1961

than the average person in the developing world consumes

today, according

to

WorldWatch.org).

Blaming the rise of consumerism in developing countries for

the grim outlook we face today can only be attributed to lack

of information or blunt ignorance. We must consider the

stark difference of what consumption means in an industrial

against developing countries’ context. In developing coun‐

tries, consumption usually covers, if even, the fulfillment of

basic necessities (consideration also must be given to the

existence of wide internal contrasts in wealth). On the other

hand, for developed countries, purchase of goods and ser‐

vices oftentimes no longer address basic ones – the result of

what

is

referred

to

as

“marketing”.

As

we

face

such

global

imbalance, coupled with the need to cut down on consump‐

tion, there should be no question with regard to where cuts

should be made.

Further consideration should be given to the fact that the

figures covering the “explosive” growth of raw material con‐

sumption/pollution in developing countries are misleading,

as the resulting commodities are often destined for export to

the developed world only. This is referred to as “off shored

emissions” which should be contributed to countries ulti‐

mately receiving the goods rather than to the producing

ones, as the said resources are not consumed internally but

used to fuel consumerism in developed countries.

In order to grasp the extent of the inequali‐

ties we face nowadays, one might, once

again, consult the calculations of the Food‐

PrintNetwork and their “Global Overshoot

Day” again. Even though humanity as a whole

lives beyond its means from September on,

there are dramatic differences on when single

countries reach that point. In 2011, the Overshoot Day for

the sad record holder United Arab Emirates was the 9th of

March, followed by North America on 1st of April. The entire

continent of Asia, on the other hand, would have 44 days of

“reserve” left (after the Global Overshoot day), and entire

Africa 153 days.

What this ultimately tells us is that not humanity as a whole

is living beyond its means. Quite the contrary, it’s just its mi‐

nority for which the time is more than due to realize that we

do not have two planets at our disposal.

from previous page: Commentary

“While

as

many

as

2.8

billion

people on the planet struggle

to survive on less than $2 a

day, 825 million people are

still undernourished…”

please turn

to

next

page



14

Other speakers include Dr. Rosalinda Torres, from the Indus‐

trial Technology Development Institute, Ms. Valeriana G.

Reyes from the World Safety Organization and Mr. Ariel

Entico, from Envirocare, who provided insights into their

experiences and expertise.

ASSIST Managing Director Sreenivas Narayanan delivered a

presentation on ASSIST’s toolkit on Responsible Production

(RP) and elaborated on the RP Framework Model. This way,

ASSIST helped disseminate United Nations Environmental

Programme (UNEP) RP Approach to industries, local au‐

thorities, technical institutions, trainers and the academe.

The Summit also featured several booths, designed as ven‐

ues of exchange for key stakeholders and experts in the

field of waste management.

As one of the organizations granted this honor, ASSIST used

the designated space to introduce the attendees into its PRE

‐SME and RP Toolkits.

Aside from Sreeni, Services Manager Matthias Wichmann,

and Group Associates Marivic Mamaradlo and Mahnaz Zan‐

ganeh participated on behalf of ASSIST.

4th Annual Merck Safety... from page 13

LEAP Indonesia Project hosts review forum

o ensure that the project is progressing and all

beneficiaries are implementing the required

controls per schedule and objectives are fully

met, the LEAP Indonesia implementers ASSIST and PT

TUV NORD

Indonesia

held

a review

forum

last

June

26

and 28 in Jakarta’s Hotel IBIS and Medan’s Hotel

Aryaduta, respectively.

LEAP Indonesia or Leapfrog towards Efficiency And Progress

through Low Carbon Economy Indonesia is a Public‐Private

Partnership (PPP) project designed to help the businesses

from five sectors (Cement, Iron and Steel, Textile, Power

Plant and Palm Oil) 1) reduce their Green House Gas emis‐

sions, 2) become more energy‐efficient and 3) contribute to

the national plans of the government towards low‐carbon

economy.

Led by ASSIST Partnerships and Network Management Di‐

rector Kamesh Ganeson, TUV Nord Jakarta‘s Eva Pitterling and TUV Nord Medan‘s Ellys Simamora, the review forum

covered the project activities since the initial Training of

Trainers session in April.

The participants, which included ASSIST local consultants

Tommy Julius, Sahrial Hakim and Harris Salleh engaged in an

assessment using the 5D (Discover, Define, Document, De‐

ploy and Determine) cycle. Among the factors evaluated

were the provision of management support, training and

propagation of the ISO 50001 (Energy Management Sys‐

tem).

Further, the event served as a venue for providing technical

support for the initial Energy Review and Baselining that the

beneficiary companies were supposed to do.

T




Cleaner Production ToT held for PROSPER Sri Lanka

n collaboration with its partners for the PROmot‐

ing Sustainable Practices on Environment and Re‐

source optimization (PROSPER) in Sri Lanka pro‐

ject, ASSIST led the training of trainer workshop at the

Plastic and Rubber Institute, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka last

May 23 to 25, 2012.

PROSPER Sri Lanka is a project co‐financed by DEG and UL DQS

and implemented by UL DQS, ASSIST, and NCPC, Sri Lanka that

will run

for

18

months.

The

project

aims

to

raise

overall

awareness on the need and means to implement Resource

Efficient and Clean Production (RECP) methodologies and

strategize transfer of knowledge through a series of trainings

and capacity building initiatives. The skill building training

courses will target SMEs from manufacturing, textile and ap‐

parel, and food and agro‐processing sectors. The project will

also help 10 companies with direct assistance for implementa‐

tion of RECP.

Thirty (30) participants from the chemical, textile, and service

industries, participated at the three‐day training, which was

also graced by US Agency for International Development

(USAID) Project Management Specialist Priyanka Dissanayake

and Sri

Lanka

Central

Environment

Authority

Deputy

Director

Sarojini Jayasekera.

I


15

Zero Carbon Resorts... from page 6 2. Mr. Ruben F. Tan Jr., Chairman/CEO, Puerto Pension

3. Engr. Rudolf Weih, Owner, KokosNuss Resort

4. Atty. Edgar T. Bocar, TIEZA, Balicasag Island Dive Resort

5. Ms. Evelyn Tan Banzon, Owner, Tropical Sun Inn

6. Mr.

Andy

Pownall,

CEO,

Sangat

Island

Dive

Resort

7. Mr. Edgar Romero, Owner, Abad Santos Court

Furthermore, the best performing local promoters were recog‐

nized. They are: Engr.. Marlon Prieto of Tourism Infrastructure

& Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and Ms. Teresita Batul,

District Manager of Northern District of PCSDS.

The project conference was conducted in collaboration with

the City of Puerto Princesa and sponsored by Hotel and SPA

Essentials Inc., SG Eco Industries Inc. and Emeral Vinyl Corp.

Launched in

2010

through

the

support

of

the

European

Union,

the ZCR Project aimed to enable tourism Small and Medium

Enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines to implement energy‐

saving measures and switching to renewable energy.

Its project implementors include ASSIST, GrAT (Gruppe

Angepasste Technologie), Palawan Council for Sustainable De‐

velopment (PCSD), Plataforma Solar de Almeria Centro de In‐

vestigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas

(PSA CIEMAT) and Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC).

ASSIST is

represented

by

Projects

and

Grants

Management

Associate Juvy Jem Perez.



16 Cleaner Production... from page 15

Project

implementers

were

represented

by

ASSIST

Projects

and Grants Management Director Sathappan Sathappan and

the Sri Lanka National Cleaner Production (NCPC) team led

by Director Mr. Sena Peiris and Deputy Director Mr. Saman‐

tha Kumarasena.

Featuring lectures, group activities and interactive discus‐

sions, the

workshop

introduced

the

project

and

the

concept

of RECP among the key stakeholders from various indus‐

tries. Select companies from this pool will be chosen for the

pilot implementation of RECP in their organizations.

Thematic sessions on Water, Energy, and Chemicals were

conducted by Dissanayake, Cleaner Production consultant

Nimal Perera and Jayasekera, respectively.

At the end of the workshop, an open forum was conducted

to solicit inputs from the representatives on the strengths

and opportunities of harmonizing initiatives towards achiev‐

ing RECP.

16

ASSIST NOW! is published

quarterly by the ASSIST

Research and Knowledge

Management Unit.

ABOUT ASSIST

ASSIST is an international non‐profit organization focused

on

capacity

building.

It

seeks

to

promote

sustainable

prac‐

tices to address social problems in the developing world,

with focus on Asia and Africa. It is presently based in

Makati City, Philippines, but also has operations in India

and Vietnam and manages projects in over `10 countries.

Through its Partner to Progress philosophy, it has success‐

fully implemented such projects in collaboration with the

European Union, United Nation Environment Program

(UNEP), United Nations Industrial Development Organiza‐

tion (UNIDO), USAID, International Finance Corporation

(IFC), GIZ, and DEG/ KFW amongst other organizations.

We welcome interns and volunteers. Please feel free to

check our website, www.assistasia.org for more details or

contact us at:

PHILIPPINES

Level 5, A&V Crystal

Tower, 105 Esteban

St., Legaspi Village,

1229 Makati City

T : (+63)

2‐403

8668

F : (+63) 2‐403 8358

INDIA

No‐9, Desika Road,

Mylapore, Chennai

600004

T : (+91)

44

‐45548

438 / 420 72357

F : (+91) 44‐

2072357

VIETNAM

Room 301A, 109

Cong Hoa St., Ward

12, Tan Binh Dist.,

Ho Chi Minh City

T : (+84)

8‐394831

42‐43/ 3814705

F : (+84) 8‐8114701

il i f @ i t i

For instance, company representatives needed to un‐

derstand the process of energy audit, leading them

how to track electricity wastage.

The Project Team also revisited the commitments of

the company beneficiary with respect to reducing their

energy

consumption

and

improving

energy

perform‐

ance especially under the ISO 50001.

Based on the review findings, the project team dis‐

cussed the next steps to take, as well as the measures

needed to be in place to ensure smooth project flow.

The LEAP Indonesia initiative is co‐financed by PT TUV

NORD Indonesia and German development bank DEG.

ASSIST offers technical expertise, training and technical

assistance to local companies for this project.

It is in line with the Indonesian government‘s mandate

that Critical National Infrastructures supporting the

electricity generation and distribution reduce the

carbon dioxide footprint of energy generation using

fossil fuel.

LEAP Indonesia Project... from page 14




assist now q2 2012 e-newsletter

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