MANILA, Philippines - Business leaders from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus three partner countries - China, Japan and the Republic of Korea - are set to meet in the Philippines this week to discuss strategies on sustainable production and consumption as an emerging new trend of doing business globally.
Scheduled on October 6 to 7 at the Bayview Park Hotel in Manila, the two-day conference organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UN-UIAS), the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the ASEAN Secretariat, is designed to equip business and industry leaders with the necessary knowledge, skills and tools in addressing the issue of sustainable production and consumption.
DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje explained that the trend now is to “do more with less” which is why several companies in the Philippines have started to review and implement changes on how they use water, energy and raw materials more efficiently.
“Sustainable production and consumption is a challenge for government, industries and the business sector to promote and come up with better products and services that are cleaner and more efficient. The Philippines has always been committed to pursue sustainable development, and this conference will help the country take steady steps towards sustainability,” he said.
Renowned experts from the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies and partner organizations, namely the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, ASEAN Foundation, Asian Development Bank, De La Salle University, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, and the United Nations Environment Programme will serve as resource persons for the conference.
Topics that will be discussed cover key issues on sustainable production and consumption; consumption and production patterns and approaches; alternative models of development; and Corporate Social Responsibility and the supply chain. - By Michael Punongbayan
