The School of Environmental Science and Management of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (SESAM-UPLB) joined a global collaboration called the Value Commission, an independent project initiated by the Capitals Coalition.

This important development by the Capitals Coalition advances the creation of database of value factors collected from existing related initiatives from around the world. This 3-year collaborative project will provide an open-access Value Database that will be available for various sectors internationally. This will benefit different stakeholders for informed and science-based decisions and actions crucial for development projects.

For years, SESAM has been guided by the ridge-to-reef approach as manifested in its instruction, research, and extension. This interdisciplinal strategy is necessary in carrying out the School’s tripartite function. Thereby, an efficient knowledge-sharing and communication facilities are important in sharing and obtaining information from different sciences or fields of knowledge. 

With the considerable engagements and accomplishments of SESAM in the interdisciplinary arena, it can significant contribute in realizing the ambition of the Capitals Coalition of attaining “majority of businesses, financial institutions and governments to include the value of natural capital, social capital, and human capital in decision-making to deliver fairer, just, and more sustainable world”. 

In the same way that SESAM can greatly benefit from this collaborative multidisciplinal knowledge management as the database of value factors will be of merit for its different programs and projects with varied clienteles, including students, researchers, teachers, and professionals/individuals, civic workers, local and national government institutions, private organizations. Some of the projects of the School include Environmental Impact Assessment, Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment, Ecosystem Valuation, Biodiversity Assessment, Carrying Capacity Assessment, Forest Land Use Plan, Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Solid Waste Management Plan, Environment Code, and other development plans. By that, the Capitals Approach of the Value Commission will be useful in the execution of theSustainability and Accelerated Innovations in Learning and Solutions (SAILS)- the School’s strategic framework under the deanship of Dr. Rico C. Ancog. 

Dr. Ancog, Dean  was elected as one of the Expert Commissioners of the Value Commission. Per Capital Coalition’s website, “The Value Commission brings together over 30 expert Commissioners from around the world to drive transparency and accountability across the application and use of value factors by organizations. The Commission will co-design and develop a set of clear and transparent global criteria spanning the creation and use of value factors and consolidate existing efforts into an open-access Value Database.”    Just this 8-10 June 2023, the Commissioners held an in-person meeting in Amsterdam, Netherlands where various policy directions has been discussed and agreed.  (Cherry S. Padilla)