Development of green economic zone framework for the Philippines
Description
SELECTION OF CONSULTING FIRMS BY THE WORLD BANK GROUP
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)
Electronic Submissions through
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ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
Assignment Title: Development of green economic zone framework for the Philippines
Assignment Countries:
Philippines
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION
Section I: Background and Context
1.1 IFC and the World Bank Group
IFC is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. IFC's Country Advisory and Economics (CAE) team works proactively with governments to create effective market conditions for private investment, including through policy reform, capacity building, and technical assistance.
1.2 Philippines Ecozone Context
The Philippines hosts over 419 operating and 172 proclaimed economic zones, with 99% privately developed and owned. Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-regulated enterprises contribute approximately 60% of total national exports and are a critical driver of employment and foreign direct investment. At the same time, the Philippines is among the most climate-vulnerable countries in Asia, with per capita GHG emissions of 1.3 tCO₂e/capita — well below the global average of 6.2 tCO₂e/capita — but with high growth potential driven by rapid industrialization and a carbon-intensive energy system. The Philippines has also set ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, but implementation plans for industrial decarbonization remain underdeveloped.
1.3 Eco-Industrial Park Context
Eco-industrial parks (EIPs) are industrial zones that go beyond traditional compliance by integrating environmental performance, resource efficiency, and social inclusion into how the park is planned, managed, and serviced. In practice, EIPs combine improved park governance and shared infrastructure (e.g., reliable utilities, wastewater and waste systems, and emergency preparedness) with collaboration among tenant firms to reduce energy, water, and materials use, lower emissions, and strengthen resilience and competitiveness. The Global EIP Framework (UNIDO/WBG/GIZ, 2021) provides an internationally recognized set of performance requirements across park management, environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and is increasingly used by governments and investors as a benchmark for “greening” industrial development.
1.4 PEZA's SuRGE Initiative
In May 2025, PEZA launched the Sustainability Reporting Guide for Exporters (SuRGE), developed with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and supported by the Swiss Embassy and SECO. SuRGE provides a voluntary ESG reporting mechanism for PEZA-registered enterprises aligned with GRI Standards.
1.5 Phase 1: IFC-PEZA EIP Assessment
Under a previous IFC Project, IFC deliver a three-component Phase 1 assessment, covering:
EIP Baseline Assessment
: Evaluating five ecozones against the International EIP Framework (UNIDO/WBG/GIZ, 2021)
Zone-Level Benefits Assessment
: Quantified economic, environmental, and social benefits of EIP framework adoption for the five ecozones above
EIP Action Plan
: Delivered four action recommendations including: establishing a PEZA Green Cell, building data collection capacity, accelerating park-level EIP implementation, and developing an inter-governmental coordination mechanism.
Section II: Assignment Description
IFC now invites eligible consulting firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the assignment described, which it will be implementing in partnership with PEZA:
(a)
Component 1 – Developing Green Ecozone Recognition System
IFC and PEZA plan to collaborate on developing an evidence-based recognition criteria for ecozones that perform well in their alignment with the indicators of the global EIP framework. The selected consulting firm will be expected to support in the development of this recognition criteria as well as support pilot application for up to 20 ecozones.
The selected firm will also be responsible for design of administration and governance framework for this criteria, capacity building for PEZA and park operators on the criteria and for integration with and leveraging PEZA's SuRGE data framework in implementation of this activity
(b)
Component 2 – In-Depth EIP Advisory
IFC plans to work with 2-3 ecozones with high potential for conversion into Eco-Industrial Parks to support them with development of detailed roadmaps for sustainability investments covering energy and water efficiency diagnostics, resource efficiency, and investment needs analysis. The expected objective of this exercise will be that the selected ecozones will be able to raise sustainability-linked financing (SLBs, SLLs) to finance investments needed to align them with the global EIP certification standard being developed concurrently.
(c)
Component 3 – Regulatory and Policy Enablers
A key enabler for the success of this initiative will be strengthening PEZA’s capacity to implement the planned activities. The s
About This Opportunity
This is a consulting contract in the governance and public administration sector. Located in Philippines, Asia, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums. Proposals must be submitted before May 19, 2026.
Published through WB eGP - World Bank e-Government Procurement, a multilateral development bank that follows standardized international procurement guidelines. Projects funded by multilateral institutions are generally open to international bidders from eligible member countries for consulting in the governance and public administration sector. Consulting assignments are typically evaluated with a strong emphasis on the technical proposal, including the methodology and qualifications of key experts. Shortlisted firms may be invited to submit financial proposals in a second stage. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.