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Manila Bulletin devider Environment and Sustainability devider CCI France Philippines hosts year 2 of "La Conférence Bleue"

CCI France Philippines hosts year 2 of "La Conférence Bleue"

Published Oct 6, 2025 10:40 am
The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines (CCIFP) held its sustainability conférence, La Conférence Bleue, for the second time last September 18, 2025, at the Ascott Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
The second edition of this sustainability conference reaffirms the Chamber’s commitment to upholding and promoting sustainable practices within the Filipino-French community. The conference this year revolved around the theme: “The Dirty Work of Doing Good” which aimed to highlight the real human stories of resilience and the complex challenges encountered in the journey towards finding success in their respective sustainability programs.
The event was attended by key figureheads from various fields and the presence of leaders from both NGOs and the private sector made for a diverse atmosphere.
The conference opened with Philip Mareschal, one of the chairpeople of the CCIFP Sustainability Committee, with opening remarks. It was followed by a keynote address delivered by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (formerly known as NEDA), Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon.
With the 2030 agenda for sustainable development as the core principle of the event, the program was divided into five segments: Planet, Peace, Prosperity, People, and Partnership. Each category was in line with specific SDGs, with the speakers delivering presentations with topics that tackled said goals.
PLANET
The first segment was centered around the following SDGs: 6 (Clean Water), 7 (Clean Energy), 12 (Responsible Consumption), 13 (Climate Action), and 15 (Life on Land). With the first speaker being Adi Hernandez, Corporate Communications Director at McDonald’s Philippines, followed by Jean-Baptiste Dreanic, Managing Director of ENGIE, Archer John Filipino, Country General Manager of DELFINGEN Philippines, and Olivier Guilluy, President of France-Philippines United Action.
PEACE
The second segment held panel discussions that revolved around SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) with Bertrand Furno, Executive Director of Asian Development Bank, Myles Delfin, Founder of Bike Scouts, and Sr. Sophie Renoux, Founder and Executive Director of ACAY, with an ACAY program graduate giving her testimony as to how the organization helped her.
PROSPERITY
Tony Valdez, Senior Vice President of Market Transformation and Retail at ACEN, Ireen Catane, President of Schneider Electric, and Maica Teves, President of SPARK! Philippines made up the third segment of the conference that focused on SDGs 8 (Decent Work), 9 (Industry and Innovation), 10 (Reduced Inequality), and 11 (Sustainable Cities).
PEOPLE
This fourth segment was centered around the following SDGs: 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health), 4 (Quality Education), and 5 (Gender Equality). The speakers Timothy Daniels, Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability at SM Investments
Corporation, Vanessa Gomez, Head of Vaccines at Sanofi-Aventis Philippines, and Jane Walker, CEO and Founder of Upskills Foundation Inc., showcased how community should remain an essential part of executing sustainable development.
PARTNERSHIP
The discussion portion of the conference concluded with this segment that Jay de Quiros, Senior Director for Development Programs at Ayala Foundation, JP Oracion, Sustainability Leader of Decathlon Philippines, Eya Khammari, Managing Director of Artelia Philippines, and Paul Debaprateem, Managing Director and President of Sodexo On-Site Services.
La Conférence Bleue wrapped with closing remarks from the Francesca Fuentes, Embassy of France Political Adviser and a call to action from Jos Ortega, Chairperson of CCIFP Sustainability Committee.
The speakers and their presentations offered valuable perspectives on sustainability, and showed how one must be willing to get their hands dirty before ending with a polished sustainability story. They highlighted the importance of embodying the Sustainable Development Goals in their mission for a more sustainable Philippines as 2030 quickly approaches.
La Conférence Bleue also served as a dynamic networking platform, allowing participants to share insights and strategies for advancing sustainability across diverse industries. Building on this momentum, the Chamber will continue to champion sustainability through key initiatives, including the upcoming Le Trophée Bleu Sustainability Business Awards at the Le French Gala on November 27, 2025, which will honor companies leading the way in sustainable growth.
The Chamber extends heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors who made the second La Conférence Bleue a success. Thank you to the Gold Sponsor: PMFTC and Bronze Sponsor: SM Investments, and Tech Partner: R Concepts & Events. Special thanks to the Media Partners: The Manila Times, MANILA BULLETIN, Daily Tribune, IMPACT (Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation - ASSIST) and to the Marketing Partner: Artisano.
The continued success of La Conférence Bleue reaffirmed the Chamber’s commitment to driving meaningful action toward a greener future. By uniting industry leaders, policy makers, and advocates under the banner of French excellence, the event showed the power of collaboration in shaping sustainable business practices and inspiring long-term change. With this year’s dialogue setting the stage for continued partnerships, the Chamber looks forward to advancing impactful initiatives that foster innovation, responsibility, and a shared vision for a more sustainable Philippines.
Stay tuned as we officially open submissions for this year’s Le Trophée Bleu soon! Get ready to showcase your groundbreaking sustainability initiatives and join us in celebrating businesses making a real difference.
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