FRENCH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES: CCC lauds call for clean energy

French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines issued the following announcement on July 27.

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) lauded the policy pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte to advance rapidly renewable energy deployment in the Philippines and reduce the country’s dependence on coal for energy generation.

In a statement on Wednesday, CCC Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman said the call by the President during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) was a strategy aligned with achieving the goal of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which the Philippine government ratified in March 2017.

“We recognize the urgent need to ensure the sustainability and availability of resources and the development of alternative ones. In this regard, I trust that [Energy] Secretary [Alfonso] Cusi shall fast track the development of renewable energy sources and to reduce dependence on traditional energy sources such as coal,” Duterte said.

De Guzman stressed that the presidential directive effectively sends a clear signal to policymakers, regulators, investors and energy industry executives to promote and invest in more affordable, reliable and cleaner power infrastructure, which, in turn, builds diversity of electricity generation. It also takes into account long-term energy sector price deflation.

“The President’s SONA pronouncement on coal energy clearly conveys that the country is not only taking the low-carbon development pathway, but will also pursue it faster. This only means that the country shall pursue socioeconomic development in a manner that is clean, healthy and sustainable for the Filipino people,” he said.

“This also means that technology development and transfer and investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency, the country’s energy sector’s transition as a whole, will have to take place in an accelerated manner,” de Guzman added.

He also cited that the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 provides the legal and institutional framework necessary for harmonizing policies on the development of renewable energy technologies. The law aims to enable the Philippines to move rapidly towards its goal by developing and utilizing resources such as solar, wind, hydropower, ocean and biomass energy.

“Renewable energy can provide a major share of the Philippine electricity mix in a stable and reliable manner and, at the same time, increase energy self-sufficiency and reduce supply-related risks,” de Guzman said.

“We must act swiftly to transform our energy sector and to deliver its socioeconomic benefits to the Filipino people as we also help achieve the 1.5-C (degree Celsius) Paris goal,” he added.

In 2018, the Philippines had a total installed capacity of 23,815 megawatts (MW), of which coal remained the dominant energy source with a share of 52.1 percent, according to the latest data from the Department of Energy. It added that coal-fired power plants constituted the largest share of the installed and dependable capacity in the last two years, with 8,049 MW in 2016 and 8,844 MW in 2018.

De Guzman noted that President Duterte’s policy pronouncement comes in a “crucial time” as the CCC is finalizing the Philippines’ first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), the country’s commitment under the Paris Agreement, due for submission this year.

The CCC assured it has been working closely with all government agencies and civil society in defining the targets and pathways for the country’s low-carbon development from now until 2040.

Currently, the National Economic Development Authority is revisiting the Philippine Development Plan and Ambisyon Natin 2040, as well as completing its economic modeling for the NDC by September 2019, CCC said.

Original source: https://www.manilatimes.net/ccc-lauds-call-for-clean-energy/590516/