CAPEC is the abbreviation of China Association of Plant Engineering Consultants. Affiliated to General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), it is a national-level nonprofit professional intermediary organization in Chinese plant engineering industry. CAPEC is organized by representatives from such units and social entities as plant engineering consulting, design, manufacturing and users, as well as volunteers related to plant engineering activities. CAPEC is committed to promoting the plant engineering consulting system in China, and standardizing the plant engineering activities through the supervision and management over the process of design, manufacture and installation of important plants in construction projects, so as to ensure the quality and investment benefits of the plants, guarantee the important projects to be implemented smoothly and promote China’s plant engineering consulting industry to keep pace with that of developed countries earlier.
CAPEC organized the “International Forum on Plant Engineering Consulting Cooperation 2009, held in Beijing International Hotel on 19 and 20 June 2009. The Vice Minister of AQSIQ, the former Vice Mayor of Beijing and other personalities attended, along with embassy representatives from the UK, Finland, Spain and others.
The theme: “Quality Safety & Sustainable Development”.
On 19 June, as Chair of the Public Procurement Working Group of the European Chamber (EUCCC), Gilbert gave a presentation on the EUCCC, the Working Group and one of its key recommendations:
Utilize Green Public Procurement (GPP) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC):
– Promote public procurement policies that encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly goods, construction works and services.
– Allow for environmental considerations and higher quality solutions in technical specifications, selection and award criteria, and contract performance clauses.
– Include LCC as an award criterion to identify the most economically advantageous tenders.

Gilbert illustrated some of the issues by showing examples of poor construction, leading to excessive waste, high maintenance costs and poor use of water and electric power. One of the (poor) examples was Julong Garden… Chinese construction and maintenance “Chinese style”.
Pictured is Mr. Ben Papé, Chairman, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, BETNET.
Ben also happens to be the Advisory Counselor of the China Children and Teenagers’ Fund – one of the partners of the Rotary Club of Beijing.