INVITATION TO A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES BRIEFING ON "NEW CLARK CITY:
The Philippines’ Sustainable Future City and Green Investment Destination"
New Clark City is the Philippine government’s response to the overstressed confines of Metro Manila. Masterfully laid out, the 9,450 ha New Clark City is the first green, disaster-resilient, inclusive and sustainable metropolis in the country that will provide unmatched potential for the Philippines, its neighbors, and its investors to be a global economic force.
SIGN UP NOW TO THIS FREE EVENT to find out more about the exciting pipeline of projects in New Clark City. Further details will be shared after registration.
To register your interest and attend this event in person on 29 Nov from 0900-1200 at Herringham Hall, Regent's University London please click here.
Our thanks to the FCDO, DTI, BCDA, Philippines Invest in partnership with the UKABC and British Expertise
CBI Member Buro Happold and C40 Cities have launched the fourth report in a series of Clean Construction deep dives. These reports support cities in resourcing efficient, net zero construction to deliver healthy, resilient and thriving urban communities.
The engineering, architecture and construction industry has a huge role to play in bringing about positive social, economic and environmental change. Almost 40% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to buildings and construction.
The built environment is therefore critical to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency. We must unite as a sector to drive change. Failure to reduce the impact of construction in our cities poses a serious risk to the environment.
Clean Construction in our cities
As a result, C40 Cities launched its global Clean Construction Programme in 2019. The programme supports cities to mitigate the impact of construction, strengthen resilience to climate risks, and facilitate dialogue within the industry.
A series of deep dives into six cities around the world — developed in partnership with Buro Happold — take this one step further. The reports provide local, actionable advice to help city leaders make the case for Clean Construction. They also offer guidance for other cities around the world. The deep dive for Quezon City, in the Philippines, is the fourth report in the series.
A green and equitable future for Quezon City
The Quezon City Government (QCG) has set ambitious climate action goals and is part of multiple national and international working groups focused on delivering bold climate action.
The QCG has developed a number of locally specific plans and commitments, such as the Enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan 2021-2050, which sets out a strategic framework and roadmap to build climate resilience, pursue carbon neutrality, and advance green economic development through inclusive and equitable climate action.
“With strong expertise in the retrofit of buildings and an effective (albeit informal) construction waste recycling system, Quezon City is primed for a Clean Construction transition. Having an extensive ability to use a range of hard and soft powers, the Quezon City Government is uniquely placed to lead such a transition.”
The construction sector is a major employer in Quezon City, across both the formal and informal sectors. Quezon City is grappling with a number of challenges linked to a growing population, climate resilience, informality and wealth inequality, a limited focus on preventative maintenance and an emerging skills gap in the construction sector.
However, the city is also home to a culture of reuse and retrofit, and has developed ambitious local building codes – albeit with limited uptake – that consider embodied carbon. Quezon City, and the Philippines more broadly, has significant experience in retrofit and refurbishment of buildings due to the country’s seismic risks.
In recent years, municipal buildings such as the high rise Quezon City Hall have been retrofit to strengthen the foundation and make them more resistant to seismic activity, the Department of Public Works and Highways has upgraded hundreds of structures across Metro Manila to reduce damage from climate-related events, and the Philippines Heritage Awards annually celebrates adaptive reuse; recognising projects that utilise buildings and other built-structures for purposes other than what they were intended originally.
Implementing policies that reduce carbon emissions from both building and infrastructure construction can support many social and environmental co-benefits, not just locally but also on a global scale.
The localised benefits of Clean Construction include:
Designing new buildings and streets to accommodate increased climate risks, as well as undertaking retrofit and refurbishment today, will ensure the safety of current and future inhabitants of Quezon City to flooding and overheating, and protect the valuation of assets following these events.
Adaptive reuse can retain community identity and foster local pride, whilst minimising disruption to local communities.
Green and biodiverse spaces have also been found to provide mental and physical health benefits, reduce local crime rates, and increase land and property values.
New industries for low carbon construction materials and waste processing will create jobs locally, and support the stabilisation of the informal sector, providing workers with stable sources of income and low-income communities with safer homes.
The global benefits of Clean Construction include:
Encouraging sustainable production and consumption practices
Increasing citizen awareness of environmental and health issues
Mitigating greenhouse gases and emissions
Driving economic innovation, dynamism and competitiveness
Fostering inclusive, just and transparent governance
“Extending the lifespan of buildings and developing build-sustainable supply chains can improve the quality of housing and build healthier communities. Our recommendations to raise awareness and knowledge of clean construction techniques will help establish secure, safe and just working conditions.”
All these positive outcomes are inextricably linked. To address the need for greater social and environmental justice, cities have a critical role to play in spearheading the vision and leadership needed to facilitate this transition.
The proposed Clean Construction policies for Quezon City will be applicable, to varying degrees, to all cities around the world.
Buro Happold and C40 are working with five other cities around the world to make the case for Clean Construction. This work forms part of the C40 Clean Construction Declaration. These cities have committed to reducing the embodied emissions associated with the construction of buildings and infrastructure by 50% by 2030.
More information about Clean Construction can be found on the C40 Knowledge Hub.
Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, tried to improve ties with China during his presidency in the hope of securing economic benefits for the country. However, those efforts did not see fruition. During his 2022 presidential campaign, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. did not openly criticize Duterte’s China policy. In fact, he argued that the policy of engagement was correct, saying “we don’t want to go to war with China” over the South China Sea. Moreover, the Marcos family has maintained warm ties with Beijing throughout the decades.
But changes are afoot. The newly elected President Marcos is adopting a tougher stance on the South China Sea disputes and calling for a renegotiation of loan agreements with China for railway projects worth almost $5 billion.
In today’s episode of China Global (09 Aug 2022), Bonnie Glaser is joined by Dr. Charmaine Willoughby, Associate Professor of International Studies at De La Salle University in Manila. They discuss the past, present, and future developments in the China-Philippines relationship and examine how the relationship may change under the new Marcos government.
To access the podcast discussion (22:54 mins) please click here.
The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) in partnership with the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is hosting a three-day in-person British Meat Trade Mission from 17th-19th May 2022 at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City, Philippines.
The Mission offers British exporters the opportunity to explore the Philippine market, particularly the meat industry, discover the business and market opportunities that exist and help establish long-term partnerships with Philippine importers.
Highlights of the trade mission:
– Market Briefing delivered by the Philippine government officials – One-on-One Meetings with British Exporters (Pork and Beef) – Cooking Demo and Gin Bartending Session (Networking) – Market visits
In the spirit of collaboration with the Chamber’s wider network, should you be interested in personally meeting with these visitors and Philippine importers, please email their team at [email protected].
Please feel free to nominate a colleague if you are unable to attend.
Who this trade mission is suitable for
– Philippine-Food processors, Traders, Meat Importers and Consolidators – Non-BCCP members are welcome to participate
Further information
To register your place for this trade mission click the link below.
Partnership opportunities are offered to companies in order to provide greater visibility during the event, opportunities to market products/services, speaking slots (specific to certain packages), and complimentary seats during the event.
For inquiries or more information about the Philippine-British Meat Trade Mission, please send an email to [email protected].
This Handbook was commissioned by the FCDO and DIT as complementary research to the Global Future Cities Programme (GFCP). The Prosperity Programming Fund (formerly the Prosperity Fund) is a major UK government initiative started in 2015. It contributes significantly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. It is guided by the UK Aid Strategy objective of helping promote growth and prosperity in developing middle-income countries.
The countries in which the Prosperity Fund operates offer great opportunities for the creation of mutually beneficial partnerships, and for the growth of businesses and trade relationships.
As the British Ambassador to the Philippines, Daniel Pruce mentioned in his foreword:
“Through this Handbook, I look forward to expanding mutually beneficial collaborations in the smart cities sector, thereby further strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between the UK and the Philippines.”
The British Embassy in Manila has prepared a trade and investment brief on the Philippines, available here.
At present, about 200 British companies are now doing business in the Philippines, including CBI members such as Unilever, Shell, HSBC, Standard Chartered, AstraZeneca, Diageo, Arup, JCB, John Lewis, Costa Coffee, Rider Levett Bucknall, and Marks & Spencer. Please see the below highlights for a snapshot of several CBI members’ in-country activities:
With more than 20 years’ worth of experience in the Philippines, CBI memberArup has established itself as an industry leader in seismic engineering in the country. The firm’s track record includes industrial facilities, tall buildings, and infrastructure. For example, Arup is providing structural, wind, and seismic engineering services for the Grant Hyatt Metrocentre, which will be the tallest and biggest mixed-use building in the country. Please read more here.
Images (L to R) John Lewis enters the Philippines, Arup's Grand Hyatt Metrocentre, Rider Levett Bucknall's Eton City South Lake Village, Shell Malampaya gas project & Unilever supports inclusive growth)
For more information please download UKTI's T&I Summary below:
