Low Carbon News in Philippines in March 2015
2 March 2015
Phase out fossil fuels, fund the poor: Asean NGOs urge rich nations
A coalition of regional non-government organisations in Southeast Asia has urged French president Francois Hollande to lead developed nations in phasing out the use of fossil fuels and pledging more funds to help the poor and vulnerable in the region adapt to the impact of climate change.
The Asean for a Fair, Ambitious and Binding Global Climate Deal (A-FAB), comprising Oxfam, Greenpeace and Eastern Regional Organisation for Public Administration or Eropa, voiced their appeal on Thursday in Philippines’ capital Manila, as Hollande arrived in the country for an historic state visit, the first for a French head of state since the country’s diplomatic ties with France were established in 1947.
More information, please visit: Eco-Business
3 March 2015
Philippines has low carbon emission but bears high costs of climate change impact
The carbon being emitted in the Philippines is low, perhaps one of the lowest in the world, but the country is third most affected by natural calamities due to climate change. This was disclosed by Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda in the Climate Change Forum held Thursday at the National Museum in Manila attended by French President Francois Hollande as guest.
Salceda told the Philippines News Agency Friday that he also revealed during the forum that the aggregate carbon emission of the Philippines is only 0.31 percent but it loses 0.52 percent of government resources due to natural calamities brought about by climate change. He said that based on the report of the World Humanitarian Trends and Trajectories up to 2030, the Philippines ranks first on this aspect.
More information, please visit: Canadian Inquirer
3 March 2015
New Wind Farms to Help Bridge 2015 Power Shortage, Says WWF
New wind farms in Ilocos Norte and Panay have added 303 MW to the country’s power supply, helping cushion consumers from a projected power shortage this March. Climate change solutions-provider World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) welcomed the timely start of operations for the new wind farms in Guimaras and Ilocos Norte. Its Seize the Wind campaign aims to increase the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) allocation for wind energy from 200 MW to 500 MW.
Wind farms take faster to build and are becoming more economical power sources, freeing energy generation companies and consumers alike from the need to import expensive fossil-fuels like coal and oil.
More information, please visit: World Wildlife Fund
12 March 2015
Electric bill disregards lower clean energy cost, SC told
The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) challenged before the Supreme Court (SC) the additional P0.040/kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge in electric bills meant to fund renewable energy production.
The group said the electric billing glosses over “the prevailing drastically low solar panel prices because the typical solar panel that used to cost $4 per watt of electricity now costs only 80 cents per watt.”
More information, please visit: Rappler
13 March 2015
Inaugural ADB Green Bond to Drive More Funds to Climate Change Projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised $500 million from an inaugural green bond issue, aimed at channeling more investor funds to ADB projects that promote low-carbon and climate-resilient economic growth and development in developing Asia.
The proceeds from ADB’s 10-year green bonds, lead managed by BofA Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and SEB will be used to finance climate change adaptation projects such as those which climate-proof water, energy, transport, or other urban infrastructure. Climate change mitigation projects that could be financed by the bond include renewable energy, energy efficiency or sustainable transport initiatives like rail or bus services.
More information, please visit: ADB
17 March 2015
DOE okays 622 renewable energy contracts
More than 600 renewable energy (RE) contracts have been awarded by the Department of Energy (DOE), nearly 7 years since the RE Law was enacted into law.
As of end-January 2015, the total of 622 contracts awarded have a potential generation capacity of 9,943 megawatts (MW), as against a total installed capacity of 2,541.62MW, the agency said.
Of the 590 RE projects awarded by the government, 397 are hydro power; 60, solar; 50, wind; 42 for biomass, 41 for geothermal; and 6 for ocean energy. These contracts were awarded for grid use.
More information, please visit: Rappler
25 March 2015
Philippines shifts to cleaner fuel standards starting July 1
The Philippines on Wednesday ordered oil companies, including Petron Corp and local units of Shell and Chevron, to sell only Euro IV-compliant fuels by July 1 in a drive to boost air quality in the Southeast Asian country.
While there have been improvements in the capital Manila, air quality in the city of 12 million people still remains below international standards, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje said.
More information, please visit: ABS-CBN
28 March 2015
LLDA redefines green roofs that are integrated in building structure
Rapid urbanization in the Philippines has given rise to many challenges as increasing infrastructure developments continue to reduce open spaces and increase energy consumption.
One of the first public institutions to rise to the challenge is the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), which unveiled a two-wing, four-story green building last year in Quezon City to mark its 48th anniversary.
More information, please visit: BusinessMirror
30 March 2015
The Philippines become a focal partner of Germany’s International Climate Initiative
The Philippines become a focal partner of Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) in Southeast Asia with a portfolio including 10 bilateral projects summing up to more than 41 million Euros ( 2 billion Php) funding volume (including upcoming projects in 2015/2016) as well as 28 regional and global projects with a component in the Philippines.
All projects are aligned with the country priorities in addressing climate change impacts and done in cooperation with key government agencies. Priorities of the German-Philippine climate cooperation lie in the areas of supporting the implementation of the national climate policy, in particular the further expansion of renewable energies, the protection of forests and biodiversity and the enhancement of resilience against climate change.
More information, please visit: http://www.manila.diplo.de/Vertretung/manila/en/07/3Kimaschutz/gorissen_20visit_20IKI.html
30 March
Paje: PH ready to cut carbon emissions, too
The Philippines is ready to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and help save the planet, even if it may negatively affect the country’s economic growth, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said here on Saturday night during the Baguio leg of the Earth Hour ceremonies.
Paje said the government’s climate change cluster was still working out the numbers to determine the volume of carbon emissions the Philippines would be able to reduce before it commits to cuts in December at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
More information, please visit: Philippine Daily Inquirer