Tarawa, Kiribati, 23 October, 2023 – Through the support of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), over 120 staff from the Government of Kiribati, State-owned Enterprises and the private sector received training in the principles of Sustainable Procurement.
The 4-day training event was opened by the Ms. Maaman Ioakim, Deputy Secretary for the Ministry of Finance & Economic Development (MFED), who in her address stated “In applying Sustainable Procurement, we are also working towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12. Applying Sustainable Procurement is one way available to all of us, for buying products and services that minimize the generation of greenhouse gases and help reduce the acceleration of climate change.”
Ms Ngaina Teiwaki, a representative from the New Zealand High Commission, Tarawa said: “We are pleased to be helping Pacific Island Countries to lead their climate change responses by supporting strengthened capacity for effective low-emission, climate-resilient planning. Sustainable Procurement, or Green Procurement, is one practice we can apply to help reduce the generation of greenhouse gases and acceleration of climate change.”
The Government of Kiribati spent around AUD48.4 million in public spending last year alone, showing the scale of the potential impact of buying “green” could have. The Office of the President is also a partner in this activity, alongside the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development (MELAD) who are monitoring Ozone Depleting Substances, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE) which is working toward Minimum Energy Performance Standards and Labelling (MEPSL).
The training introduced trainees to the principles of Sustainable Procurement and using new Checklists on buying Lighting and Cooling Appliances in public procurement events. The long-range view is to expand the application of Sustainable Procurement to other sectors including construction, transport, hospitality and other services. The training was delivered by the Central Procurement Unit of the Ministry of Finance with support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. GGGI has been pleased to work alongside the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development in the delivery of this activity.
For more information, please contact the Central Procurement Unit, MFED, Bairiki (cpu@mfep.gov.ki)