A panel of seven prestigious judges selected the 4 winners of the EPPIC 2020: Kari Synnøve Johansen (Advisor, Norad), Leela Dilkes-Hoffman (Project Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation), Regula Schegg (Managing Director Asia - Circulate Capital Ocean Fund), Giulio Quaggiotto (Head of UNDP’s Regional Innovation Center for Asia Pacific), Supinya Srithongkul (Advisor to the Mayor of Koh Samui), Nguyen Le Tuan (Director General, VISI), and Hoang Viet Dung (Director, Sub-Department for Seas and Islands in Quang Ninh).
Mr. Ta Dinh Thi. Director General, Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) said, “The results of the competition show the diffusion of the spirit of environmental protection and the responsibility of the community to solve the current global problem, plastic waste – a requirement throughout the sustainable development process.”
“Today, the EPPIC winners have pitched outstanding, innovative ideas to tackle plastic pollution and we are keen to working with them and our partners from the Governments of Viet Nam and Thailand to implement the solutions in Ha Long Bay and Koh Samui. Today, we are also delighted to extend the EPPIC Challenge to Indonesia and the Philippines and welcome all innovators from ASEAN to apply. We believe there is a significant opportunity for innovators from ASEAN countries to play a leading role in the fight against plastic pollution,” said Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam.
“Norad is proud to support UNDP Viet Nam’s Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC), as a part of Norway’s development program to combat marine litter. We need to come together, collaborate, and innovate to stop plastic pollution from reaching our oceans. We are impressed with these entrepreneurs commitment to create healthier environments and good jobs in a circular economy by reducing plastic pollution” said Stig Ingemar Traavik, Director for the Department for Climate, Energy and Environment of Norad.
The EPPIC Final Pitching Competition and Award Ceremony were live-streamed at the following links:
English: https://www.facebook.com/undpvietnam/
Vietnamese: https://www.facebook.com/OceanorPlastic/
During the event, the two locations of the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) 2021 were revealed to the audience. Interested innovators are now welcome to apply and contribute to beating plastic pollution in Mandalika Special Economic Zone, Lombok Island (Indonesia) and Samal Island (the Philippines)./.
