the IGPN met annually to recap progresses and share members’ insights in green purchasing practices
2022 annual meeting of the International Green Purchasing Network-IGPN was held visually on December 16th. Participants and invited guests from national Green Purchasing Networks, IGPN Council and IGPN Advisory Board which are from Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, China Hong Kong, and UNEP, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Netherland Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, TCO Development attended this meeting. The meeting was hosted by the IGPN Secretariat, China Environmental United Certification Center–CEC.
Mr. Chen Yanping, Chair of IGPN, presented his speech in the opening remarks, “Sustainable production and consumption are increasingly becoming a key component of balancing human development and healthy planet. In 2022, the IGPN carried out the specific survey activity of how environmentally friendly products and green purchasing to tackle climate change, which laid an active role in the global action on climate change. We expect to continuously improve members activity, expand the membership scale, focus on project research, gradually forming regional best practices and promote the regional green purchasing development”. Mr. Mark Hidson, vice chair of IGPN, gave his welcome remarks, “Global sustainable procurement is moving from awareness raising toward implementation, along with the improvement of sustainable public procurement systems, standards and norms, pre-procurement training will play a greater role in guiding consumer behavior change and promoting sustainable procurement practices, and it is hoped that IGPN and its members pioneer to play a leading role in this field”.
During the meeting, Ms. Gina Torregroza, project coordinator of UNEP One Planet Network Secretariat, introduced the latest Global Strategy of Sustainable Consumption and Production (2023-2030). Mr. Farid Yaker, programme officer of the Economy Division of UNEP and IGPN advisory board member, presented Key results and updates in the application of performance evaluation tools in global sustainable public procurement. Ms. Marieke Weerdesteijn, program manager of Netherland Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, explained the role of Circular and Fair ICT Pact in accelerating the shift to sustainability through the power of procurement. Meanwhile representatives of Green Procurement Networks from different countries and regions recapped their progress, achievements and experience of their green purchasing networks. Participants reviewed the 2022annual work of IGPN secretariat, discussed the priorities and highlights of future development of IGPN.
Since CEC holds the IGPN Secretariat in 2018, it consistently works on the IGPN operational codes and members’ collaboration activities. Stated by Mr. LIU Zunwen, CEC general manager, in the summary speech, “Next year the Secretariat will commit to its mission of IGPN, pay more attention to deepening cooperation, technical models, and optimization activities to promote the expansion of membership scale, strive to promote the practice of sustainable procurement at the national and regional levels.”