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As the who world bats for sustainable development given the palpable adverse effect of climate change and also the pandemic, the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) in cooperation with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI), Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) held a Wastewater Compliance Workshop Series for Philippine Small and Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs) held July 05 to August 04, 2021. The series was joined by almost 800 company representatives in total and consisted of 6 events.
“We are pleased that we are able to provide this platform of exchange to allow almost 800 Philippine companies to address their environmental impacts,” GPCCI President Stefan Schmitz remarked, “Given that the country is often struck by the effects of climate change and particularly with the issue of water shortage, companies have to establish a business case that is mindful of the environment and aligns with the resources that we have.”
The month-long workshop series aimed to address Philippine SME’s compliance with the Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards of 2016 (Administrative Order 2016-08) as well as the updated Standards of DENR Administrative Order 2021-19. The training series also tackled different aspects of a system upgrade, from understanding the effluent standards and wastewater regulations to technical approaches by industry, financing aspects, and how to communicate about achievements to stakeholders through sustainability reporting. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety.
Ambassador of Germany to the Philippines H.E. Anke Reiffenstuel stated: “Germany has recently passed the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act where German companies employing more than 3,000 employees will be held responsible for their entire supply chain networks starting the year 2023”. The Ambassador speaks about this new law’s relevance to the Philippines, “Concerning bilateral business relations, this will affect business partners in the Philippines because it encompasses all business sectors. Hence, it is timely for stakeholders to learn about wastewater upgrades and how to report about the achievements of implementing these upgrades successfully.”
Building on the success of the event series, GPCCI will hold a virtual business mission this November 2021 with 10 German solution providers in the field of water and wastewater management that are interested in meeting Philippine business partners for their market entry.
GPCCI belongs to the international network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHKs) that is represented by 140 offices in 92 countries. GPCCI is the official representation of German businesses in the Philippines; a bilateral membership organization with around 300 members; and a service provider to companies in their market entry and expansion.