Consultancy Services for Developing the Climate Resilient Green Growth (CRGG) Planning Framework for GGGI

To build upon the results of these projects, and to provide a basis for a set of future projects working to integrate the goals of economic development and planning for climate change adaptation, GGGI seeks the development of a Climate Resilient Green Growth (CRGG) Planning Framework for use in provinces in the Philippines.  Ultimately, GGGI expects that this Framework will be adapted and adopted for use in other countries that GGGI serves, helping to expand the reach of and support available for GGGI’s programs.

The first phase of GGGI’s Eco-Town projects in the Philippines were designed to respond to the populous island nation’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and to the Philippine government’s creation of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to coordinate climate-related activities in concert with other national and international organizations, followed by the implementation of key laws related to climate change.

The first phase of the Eco-Town projects, carried out in selected municipalities, focused on assessing vulnerability to climate change, identifying and prioritizing measures to reduce climate change impacts and risks, and building local capacity for adaptation planning, plan implementation, and plan monitoring and evaluation.  As such, the first phase of the project did not strongly emphasize relationships between climate adaptation planning and economic development.

In an upcoming second phase of the Eco-Town project, the “Eco-Town Scale-Up Project (Phase 2): Climate Resilient Green Growth Project at the Provincial Level”, GGGI and its partners in the Philippines intend to build on the lessons and experience gained in the project’s first phase and to emphasize the integration of climate adaptation planning together with planning for economic development and its subsidiary social goals–for example, alleviating poverty, improving inclusion in decision making, addressing gender issues, providing employment opportunities, and addressing gender and related social issues.  The second phase of the Eco-Town project could also include increased linkage between climate adaptation and climate mitigation/emissions reduction planning, as mitigation planning has been another of GGGI’s core areas of activity.

GGGI seeks the preparation of a CRGG Planning Framework for use in guiding the projects implemented under the second phase of the Eco-Town Project in the Philippines, as well as for use, ultimately, in other nations served by GGGI.   GGGI envisions the CRGG Planning Framework to incorporate elements of natural resources and vulnerability assessment, identification and evaluation of adaptation measures, evaluation of economic development goals and resources, an assessment of climate mitigation and other green growth measures contributing to economic development, and the preparation of a regional climate resilient green growth strategy for the province that integrates consideration of adaptation and economic development issues and options.  The CRGG Planning Framework is envisioned as a tool to guide the participatory planning for climate-resilient development at the Provincial level.

To develop the CRGG Framework, in collaboration with GGGI and its partners in the Philippines, the Stockholm Environment Institute’s Asia office, located in Bangkok, Thailand (SEI-Asia) proposes a Project Team consisting of SEI Senior Associates Dr. David von Hippel and Dr. William Dougherty, plus SEI-Asia Senior Researcher Dr. Bernadette Resurrección, with support from additional staff at SEI-Asia as needed.  The proposed team offers a broad and deep spectrum of experience in climate adaptation and greenhouse gas emissions mitigation planning, the latter closely coupled with economic development planning, together with local knowledge of the Philippines and regional issues.  Starting with a review of the accomplishments of the Eco-Town Phase I project, and of relevant national and international literature, the Project Team will then work with GGGI staff and others to develop, then revise based on review by GGGI and other colleagues, a draft CCRG Framework to guide activities in the second phase of the Eco-Town work.