Green procurement key for sustainable ASEAN, experts tell forum

The forum, held on Tuesday as part of ASEAN Week, brought together government officials, industry experts, and academics to discuss "Shaping the Future of Sustainable ASEAN".
 
Key speakers included Hari Ramalu Ragavan, principal consultant at Akar Asia Consulting, and Chuttree Phurat, director of the Green Label and Environmental Label Program at the Thailand Environment Institute.

Ragavan highlighted the challenges and opportunities of green procurement implementation across ASEAN, with a focus on Malaysia’s experience. Chuttree presented Thailand’s progress in integrating eco-labelling into public procurement.

Both experts emphasised the need for green practices, such as green procurement, to mitigate the environmental impacts of rapid economic growth in the region.

They highlighted the importance of the Scaling Sustainable Consumption and Production project, which is increasing awareness and building capacity in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Thailand has emerged as a regional leader in green procurement, with its Thailand Green Public Procurement and Thailand Green Label programme serving as a model for other ASEAN countries. 

"Green procurement not only creates the value of the organisation and the environment but also benefits the value of promoting behavioural change," Chuttree said. 

Malaysia has also made significant progress with its Government Green Procurement initiative, which is expanding to include state and local authorities.

However, challenges such as low awareness, inadequate reporting standards, and limited financial support persist.

To overcome these hurdles, increased collaboration, regional guidelines, and professional networks are essential.

Pisanu Suvanajata, C ASEAN ambassador, emphasised the importance of green procurement in transforming supply chains and reducing environmental impacts. He called for greater cooperation among ASEAN member states to build a more sustainable future for the region.

"One way to lessen the impact on the environment in this period of economic growth and environmental preservation is to transform our supply chain paradigm through strategic green procurement to ensure our long-term prosperity. Refer to the act of purchasing goods while keeping mindful of the affordability, suitability of the product and mitigation of the negative effects of production and service on the environment over the course of the product's full life cycle. The concept of green procurement takes into account quality and reduction of environmental impacts throughout the life cycle instead of solving problems resulting from environmental impacts," he said. 

The purpose of this event is to recognise these challenges as opportunities for ASEAN members to transform the climate by greening our businesses and utilising green procurement as a powerful tool for the region to achieve sustainable development while also addressing environmental concerns. 

"It is critical that we continue to collaborate with a common purpose to build a more sustainable future for all people within the ASEAN region," he said, adding that by working together, countries in the region “can accelerate the adoption of green procurement practices, resulting in a more sustainable and resilient region”.