Partner: EU-Philippines Green Economy Programme (GEPP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, Local Government Units across the Philippines
Project Duration: April 2024
Capabilities Offered:
Seeing Systems - Systems Thinking, Cross-sector Learning Lab, Ideation on Portfolio of Solutions & Exploration Design
Designing Change - Strategic Convening Design, Weaving Experiences of Place & People.
The Philippines is at a tipping point: plastic pollution, waste, and rising emissions threaten communities and ecosystems, while opportunities for green jobs and sustainable growth remain untapped. Local governments (LGUs) hold the key to advancing a circular economy but face barriers of capacity, financing, and integration. With the Philippines’ NDC committing to a 75% emissions reduction by 2030, the urgency to act has never been greater. The EU–PH Green LGUs Project empowers LGUs to turn climate commitments into community realities - building inclusive, resilient, and circular local economies.
How might we empower LGUs to develop the capacities, partnerships, and innovations needed to lead the transition toward inclusive and circular local economies?
In the Inception Workshop, KindMind applied its Braver Governance by Design approach with Life-Centered Design and Systems Thinking, framing the project as a “voyage to a circular economy.” Participants mapped current LGU practices, envisioned a 10-year regenerative future, identified core innovations, and co-created transformative initiatives.
Using Life-Cycle Analysis and participatory methods, the workshop fostered cross-sector collaboration, entrepreneurial mindsets, and citizen engagement, generating actionable pathways toward a greener, more resilient economy.
Guided by KindMind’s unique approach, the Inception Workshop followed a structured, voyage-like framework to advance LGUs toward a circular economy.
To further strengthen the mapping, sector-based groups developed institutional personas, drafted future scenarios, and expanded core innovations into adjacent or transformational projects aligned with GEPP outputs. Hands-on breakout sessions, cross-sector dialogue, and peer learning fostered co-creation, tested assumptions, and assessed feasibility, resources, and scalability.
The workshops combined systems thinking, capacity building, and participatory methods to ensure solutions were context-specific, inclusive, and scalable, nurturing achievement, creativity, and a collaborative community committed to long-term circular economy transitions.
Cross-sector collaboration during visioning and ideation exercises built trust, enabled knowledge sharing, and cultivated a collective mindset oriented toward regenerative, circular solutions. Participants formed networks that support ongoing engagement and collaboration beyond the workshop.
LGU participants strengthened their understanding of circular economy principles, gained practical skills in project design and implementation, and developed capabilities to innovate within their local contexts. This included identifying priority initiatives, designing adjacent and transformational projects, and leveraging resources effectively.
Through hands-on workshops and breakout sessions, participants applied systems thinking, market sensing, and entrepreneurial approaches, translating abstract CE concepts into actionable initiatives. These practices encouraged experimentation, reflective learning, and iterative problem-solving.
Cross-sector collaboration during visioning and ideation exercises built trust, enabled knowledge sharing, and cultivated a collective mindset oriented toward regenerative, circular solutions. Participants formed networks that support ongoing engagement and collaboration beyond the workshop.
The project generated actionable recommendations to integrate circular economy principles into local policies, embed CE concepts into the education sector, and strengthen private-sector partnerships. These efforts align with other GEPP initiatives and provide a foundation for systemic, sustainable change in LGU operations and community engagement.
Technology & Innovation
119 innovation ideas, identification of funding, technical, policy, and talent requirements, and strategies for scaling and embedding CE behaviors in schools and communities.
By embedding participatory, systems-oriented approaches, the Green LGUs Project goes beyond one-off interventions to foster lasting, transformative change. Through KindMind’s facilitation, LGUs are equipped to identify leverage points within their local systems, lead regenerative practices, and scale innovations that integrate economic, environmental, and social benefits. The project emphasizes inclusive circular solutions that bring together local government, civil society, and private sector actors, creating a collaborative ecosystem for sustainable development.
SDG 12, 13, 8, 10
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The Green LGUs Project is part of the EU-Philippines Green Economy Programme (GEPP), a EUR 60 million initiative supporting the country’s transition to a circular and regenerative economy. This workshop focused on SO2, building LGU capacity to implement circular economy initiatives through enabling policies, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and innovation. By combining hands-on workshops, masterclasses, and collaborative engagements, the program equips LGUs to lead inclusive, sustainable practices, generate green jobs, and scale transformative solutions across communities.
