Empowering local governments and stakeholders as circular economy champions to reduce waste, promote sustainable growth, and protect the environment, with strong community partnerships.
Local government units (LGUs) across the Philippines are at the heart of the "Green LGUs" Project—an initiative under the broader Green Economy Partnership with the Philippines (GEPP), supported by a €60 million (approximately P3.67 billion) grant from the European Union. This project focuses on empowering local governments and stakeholders, including the often marginalized groups, to adopt and scale up circular economy practices—finding smart ways to use resources efficiently, reduce waste, and treat materials as valuable assets rather than disposable items.
A core principle is collaboration – working closely with local businesses, community organizations, and GEDSI groups, particularly youth and women are central to these positive changes. The Green LGUs Project is co-led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
A core principle of the Green LGUs Project is collaboration – working closely with local governments, businesses, and community organizations, while ensuring that the youth, women, and other marginalized groups are central to driving circular economy solutions. The Green LGUs Project is co-led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Green LGUs project uses a multi-faceted approach to support communities:
Here’s how the Green LGUs project is helping communities make a real difference:
Less Waste in Landfills: Reducing the amount of waste that ends up in disposal sites.
Fighting Climate Change Locally: Lowering harmful greenhouse gas emissions with EU support.
Smarter Waste Systems: Helping at least 20 communities establish "circular economy" models, where waste is valued as a resource, including better ways to collect and sort materials.
Eco-Friendly Local Businesses: Increasing the number of small businesses and community groups (especially those involving women, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized sectors) that use sustainable, eco-friendly methods.
More Green Jobs: Supporting the creation and continuation of environmentally friendly jobs.
Better Local Rules, Community Input: Developing or improving at least 20 local government policies for a greener environment, with active participation from community organizations.
Tracking Climate Action & Benefits: Assisting at least 15 communities in reporting their contributions to national climate goals, including better data on how these actions benefit women and youth.
Greener Habits: Seeing a positive shift in how people think about and practice resource conservation and waste reduction.
For over 50 years in the Philippines and across 177 countries, the UNDP has been working to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. In the Philippines, its work focuses on improving governance, helping communities adapt to climate change, and building resilience. The UNDP champions a circular economy approach that tackles pollution by improving policies, fostering innovation, and building local skills.
Key contributions include supporting the National Plan of Action on Marine Litter, the Extended Producer Responsibility Law, and leading the National Plastic Action Partnership. Through projects like ACE (Accelerating Circular Economy) and EPPIC (Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge), the UNDP has been enhancing local abilities to create circular economy models that also advance climate goals and ensure social inclusion. The EU-funded Green LGUs Project, described here, is a way of scaling up these successful solutions to build sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient communities throughout the Philippines.
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As a co-lead for the Green LGUs project, the DILG plays a crucial role in guiding and supporting local government units across the Philippines. Its involvement ensures that circular economy initiatives are well-integrated into local governance structures and development plans. The DILG's leadership is also vital in programs like the Mayors’ Fellowship, fostering learning and exchange among local chief executives, and in the development of model ordinances that help LGUs implement national environmental policies effectively.
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UNDP and the EU formally announces the extension of submission of proposals for the Green LGUs Project grants under the GEPP, offering support for local circular economy innovations and community-led solutions.
UNDP and the EU formally launched the Green LGUs Project grants under the GEPP, offering support for local circular economy innovations and community-led solutions.
Advocating for circular economy, specifically on the 10Rs to eliminate plastic wastes, is the focus of Zero Waste’s current work According to Zero Waste, the EU-GEPP project is a major component of Baguio City’s circular economy initiatives.
The Baguio City government announced plans to adopt a scorecard system to regularly track and evaluate progress in implementing circular economy initiatives.
A feature on the city’s grassroots launch of its circular economy campaign, highlighting community participation and zero-waste goals in early rollouts.
