ASSIST and DEKRA WIT (Hangzhou) kick off Green and Safe Project

Aug. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- The Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), an international non-government organization, formally kicked off the DEG-funded Green and Safe Project, in cooperation with DEKRA WIT (Hangzhou) Certification Co. Ltd. through a multi-stakeholder session held last July 28, 2011 in Beijing, China.

Green and Safe is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) which seeks to promote the competitiveness of automobile dealers and set up standards for energy efficiency, waste disposal and health and safety practices. It targeted dealers particularly in China, which in 2009 surpassed the United States in the sale of passenger cars.

Attended by top executives and representatives of government agencies, car manufacturers, non-government organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, and automotive dealer groups, the session highlighted the project rationale, and the benefits that await the stakeholders. The event likewise served as a venue for sharing expert views, and identifying and prioritizing areas for improvement in auto dealerships with key focus in environment, health and safety.

Participants were welcomed by Dr. Peter Kreutzberger, Deputy Head of Economic Department, German Embassy, as well as messages from Mr. Oliver Harms, Country Director of DEG Beijing Office, Mr. Michael Siedentop, Head of DEKRA Shanghai Co., Ltd.

Mr. Andreas Loh, General Manager of DEKRA WIT (Hangzhou) Certification Co., Ltd discussed an overview of the project, followed by an open forum, facilitated by Prof. Wolfgang Wagner, the General Manager of Staufen Shanghai.

Mr. Raj Kumar, a Senior Technical Expert, represented ASSIST.

Following the multi-stakeholder session, ASSIST and DEKRA WIT will hold awareness sessions, technical trainings, review forums and audits of ten participating companies/dealerships.

ASSIST is presently based in Makati City, but also has operations in India and Vietnam and manages projects in over 10 countries. Through its Partner to Progress philosophy, it has successfully implemented such projects in collaboration with the European Union, United Nation Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), USAID, International Finance Corporation (IFC), GIZ, and DEG/ KFW amongst other organizations.

Meanwhile, DEKRA WIT is a joint venture of DEKRA SE, Stuttgart, the third largest Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) company in the world and Hangzhou WIT Assessment Co., Ltd, a leading provider of Management System Certification in China.

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Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) is an international NGO focused on capacity building. It seeks to promote sustainable practices to address social problems in the developing world, with focus on Asia and Africa.