As one of the partners of the EU grant-funded SMART Myanmar project http://www.smartmyanmar.org/ , ADFIAP, through Atty. Alberto B. Reyno of the ADFIAP Consulting (AC) Group, conducted two separate briefings on sustainable consumption and production (SCP).
The first briefing was conducted on July 27, 2013 for 32 garment entrepreneurs in Myanmar. The one-day briefing was for the purpose of informing the garment manufacturers about the objectives of SCP and familiarizing them with the various SCP concepts and principles. The highlight of the briefing was the detailed presentation of the business case for SCP wherein the garment entrepreneurs were shown the various benefits supported by quantitative measures gained by various companies that have embraced the “SCP culture”.
The second awareness briefing was held from July 29 – 31, 2013 for a select group of 14 young engineers who are being prepared to do SCP consultancy work which is also a project component of the project. The 3-day awareness session gave opportunity for more detailed interactive discussions on SCP in relation to the local garment industry.
Among the topics discussed were: SCP drivers, techniques and enablers; SCP policy instruments; the roles of government, regulators, business and consumers in promoting SCP; mechanics for implementing an SCP program. Case studies on SCP implementation were also presented and discussed to enable the participants to learn more about cleaner production opportunities in related industries. The training session was highlighted by a workshop on the preparation of an action plan by the participants for the implementation of identified SCP practices in the local garment Industry. The workshop was intended to gauge the level of understanding among the participants of the SCP concepts and their ability to articulate and apply the various elements and opportunities in their future engagement as SCP consultants for the garment industry in Myanmar.
Based on participants’ feedback, the two sessions succeeded in creating SCP awareness among the participants. The briefing sessions were held at the UMFCCI Building in Yangon, Myanmar. Atty. Reyno was ably assisted by two SMART Myanmar project officers namely, Mr. Thit Lwin Oo, SCP Team Leader and Ms. Su Tayar Lin, Assistant Project Manager.
ADFIAP is part of a consortium of implementing partner-institutions of this project called, “SMEs for Environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency Myanmar” or SMART Myanmar. The consortium, led by sequa gGmbH of Germany, also includes UK’s Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Germany’s Gesamtverband (Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry), the UMFCCI and the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA). Associate partners of project are Germany’s GIZ and the Netherlands’ CBI (Center for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries).
The 3-year project, funded by a grant from the European Commission under its SWITCH-Asia Programme specifically aims to improve the competitiveness and resource-efficient production and consumption of sustainably-manufactured garments from Myanmar. ADFIAP’s main role is to provide technical assistance, particularly in financing areas, to key stakeholders of the project, i.e., the chamber of commerce and industry, the garment association, banks and SMEs. ADFIAP hopes that the experience gained from the project can be shared to its member-development finance institutions (DFIs) in the region.
