Low Carbon News in Philippines in February 2014
1 February 2014
Manila Water intensifies waste-recycling campaign
MANILA Water has recently spearheaded a company-wide recycling campaign dubbed “Junk for Joy Level Up,” among employees as part of its overall effort to help preserve the environment.
Manila Water Operations Group Director Geodino Carpio said the recycling project aims to promote the three “Rs”—reduce, reuse and recycle—to protect natural resources and generate funds that will benefit programs of the Manila Water Foundation.
Junk for Joy Level Up is an environmental effort among employees of Manila Water in which recyclable materials and electronic waste were collected and given to Gawad Cooperative and HMR Envirocycle as the company’s select beneficiaries.
4 February 2014
Philippines increasingly embracing renewable energy
Thomas Lloyd Cleantech Congress: Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines are driving investment in green energy by reducing imported fossil fuel dependency and increasingly adopting renewable sources.
“Meet Asia. Meet Renewable Energy’s Future” was the motto at this year’s Thomas Lloyd Cleantech Congress Europe in Frankfurt, Germany. Organized by the investment banking and management group, the event — and co-hosted by the Philippines — the event clearly illustrated the high interest and the high need for increased investments in photovoltaic and other renewable energies in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines.
6 February 2014
A fossil fuel company’s take on climate change
Where does a carbon-emitting fossil fuel company stand in a world threatened by climate change? Studies show that global warming is largely due to fossil fuel companies extracting and combusting oil, coal and natural gas to meet the world’s energy demands.
Environmentalists demand that fossil fuel companies and industrialized companies drastically reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit. Doing so gives humans a shot at curbing climate change, which if not stopped, can lead to catastrophic warming of global average temperatures.
Source: http://www.rappler.com/nation/49790-shell-jeremy-bentham-climate-change-carbon-emissions
7 February 2014
Palawan Inaugurates First Hybrid Renewable Energy Power System
Thanks to the support of the U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID), residents of Sitio Green Island in Roxas, Palawan, will now enjoy reliable and sustainable electricity using hybrid renewable energy.
Sitio Green Island is categorized as a “missionary area,” or an area that is not connected to the main electricity grid. Missionary areas are often powered by small generator sets run by diesel or bunker fuel which is costly and unreliable. Missionary areas are often so remote that it is hard to establish electric power systems.
Through USAID’s Climate Change and Clean Energy (CEnergy) Project, however, USAID helped build a 25.5kW Hybrid Renewable Energy (RE) Power System on the island. The system is composed of a biomass gasifier which uses plant-derived energy, along with solar panels and wind turbines.
Source: http://manila.usembassy.gov/palawan-inaugurates-first-hybrid-renewable-energy-power-system.html
8 February 2014
Paving the way for change in dedication to future generations
Speech delivered by Senator Loren Legarda at the Thomas Lloyd Cleantech Congress 2014 in
Frankfurt, Germany.
Senator Legarda stressed on the many negative impacts climate change bring to many developing countries, including the Philippines. She highlighted that he level of carbon emissions is essentially defined by the development and economic growth strategies pursued by countries which brings a call for low emissions development strategy. Clean technologies play an invaluable role in sustainable development. Developed countries, which account for a significant part of carbon emissions, need not just be developers of clean technologies, but users as well, she added.
10 February 2014
Bronzeoak Philippines building 125 MW of solar, biomass plants
Renewable energy developer Bronzeoak Philippines Inc is to install 50 MW of solar and 75 MW of biomass power capacity in the Negros Occidental province for a total investment of USD 500 million (EUR 367m).
Chairman Jose Maria T Zabaleta told reporters on Thursday that the company would provide USD 260 million in equity for the four solar and three biomass projects, while the remainder will be debt. A solar power facility of 22 MW in the San Carlos Economic Zone is to go live by April, the company official said, as cited by business daily Business World.
11 February 2014
Philippine low-carbon strategies in energy, water & food production
Paper delivered on February 6, 2014 by Philippine Climate Change Commission head Heherson Alvarez at the 14th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), Ministerial Session 1, in New Delhi, India on February 6, 2014.
“In summary, our goal of a low carbon world can be achieved only through sustained efforts, with appropriate incentives, and with determined policy changes that move governments toward low carbon strategies in power generation.
The Philippines is only a case study on the fate of the earth. If we can summon the imagination and the will to diminish or entirely dismantle these barriers—especially that fossil barrier—the transition to a cleaner, healthier, and abundant safe energy future will be achieved. The Earth will not burn beyond 2 degrees centigrade and will flourish and endure into eternity.”
Source: http://manilatimes.net/philippine-low-carbon-strategies-in-energy-water-food-production/75027/
19 February 2014
Legarda Stresses Legislators’ Role in Climate Change Action
Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, today stressed on the role of lawmakers in seeking solutions to the challenges brought about by the warming climate.
Legarda made the statement as the Senate and the House of Representatives, together with the British Embassy in Manila and the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE International) Philippines Chapter, welcome Sir David King, the UK Special Representative for Climate Change, in a forum, “The Politics of Climate Change and its 21st Century Challenges.”
Source: http://lorenlegarda.com.ph/legarda-stresses-legislators-role-in-climate-change-action/
27 February 2014
ADB Headquarters Switches to 100% Renewable Energy
The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) headquarters in Manila is now meeting all of its energy needs from renewable sources, following a geothermal power supply agreement with AdventEnergy Inc., a licensed retail electricity supplier of Aboitiz Power.
The headquarters is now powered by 100% renewable energy generated by geothermal plants in Tiwi in Albay province and Makiling-Banahaw in Laguna province, both of which are on the main Philippine island of Luzon, in addition to existing on-site solar power generation.
Source: http://www.adb.org/news/adb-headquarters-switches-100-renewable-energy
27 February 2014
‘One million electric vehicles in PH by 2020’
Is this being too optimistic for a developing country that has learned to make do with the cheap and the old?
Electric vehicle manufacturers, both local and foreign, beg to differ.
In the 3rd Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit held in Pasig City on Thursday, February 27, more than 500 participants from all over the world gathered to celebrate the achievements of the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The event gathered major industry players, manufacturers, NGOs, the academe, and government officials.
“The Philippines is at the center right now. We can be the hub for electric vehicle production in the region,” said Rommel Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP).
Source: http://www.rappler.com/nation/51741-one-million-electric-vehicles-ph
27 February 2014
COMET e-shuttles to start operations by April
Those waiting for cleaner, more efficient public transport vehicles to ply the roads of Metro Manila can now mark their calendars.
The first fleet of 30 City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (COMET) e-shuttles (or simply COMETs) will start operating around late March or early April, said Ana Santos, media relations head of Global Electric Transport Ltd (GET), the US-based company that makes the e-shuttle.
Originally planned for January, the start of operations was moved because of a change in route and some technical upgrades to the vehicle.
The COMET is a fully electric-powered shuttle that uses state-of-the-art lithium ion batteries. This 21-seater vehicle can travel 80 to 100 kilometers after full charge and can travel up to 60 kilometers/hour. No need to gas up.
Source: http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/society-culture/51712-comet-eshuttle-april
28 February 2014
Global Climate Fund Bali meet gains to enable new aid to climate change-affected countries
The United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) conference held February 17-21 in Bali, Indonesia has laid down the groundworks to fast track collection of pledges from developed countries, deemed to have contributed much to the exacerbation of climate change, and assure balanced allocation for climate change mitigation and adaptation for developing countries.
The GCF, known as the Fund, is the finance arm of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Last year, it elected Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, who represents Southeast Asia and developing countries in the UN body as Board chairman, along with Manfred Konukiewitz of Germany, his counterpart from the developed economies, as co-chair.
Announcement:
28 February 2014
9th Asia Clean Energy Forum 2014
ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines : 16 June 2014 – 20 June 2014
The ninth Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF), jointly organized by ADB and USAID, aims to share best practices in policy, technology, and finance to meet the region’s climate and energy security challenges.
In 2014, ACEF will update its approach to knowledge exchange by introducing more targeted and in-depth discussions about clean energy. This new format is designed to allow participants to delve in and out of topics, thereby giving them the opportunity to learn both at a very technical and hands on level as well as at a more macro level.
Source: http://www.adb.org/news/events/9th-asia-clean-energy-forum-2014?ref=sectors/energy/events