[Klima Reports] Raising the Bar: Part 1 – Benguet’s Renewable Energy Quest for Stable Power Source
What are the potentials and challenges in shifting to renewable energy, particularly hydropower, in order to power up Benguet? Our Klima Fellows Carl Taawan and Sam Bautista explore the realities of venturing into hydropower in the province in this two-part story in the Highland Tribune.
[Klima Reports] Regreening Mindanao grid
In the shift to renewables, all hands should be on-deck, from government actors, private stakeholders, the academe, and the community. In this two-part story, our Klima Fellows Germelina Lacorte and Barry Ohaylan speak with academics and engineers from the Ateneo de Davao University to learn about their efforts in greening their university and in extension, Davao City and Mindanao.
[Klima Reports] Solar power lights up, enhances productivity in remote SouthCot IP village
The indigenous Manobo community in Sitio Blit in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato used to be shrouded in darkness, until a government project called “tala” (star) lit up their homes using solar power. This special report by Bong Sarmiento and Carolyn Arguillas, our Klima Fellows from Mindanews, takes us to this foggy village in Mindanao, where households benefit from renewable energy.
[Klima Reports] Jeepney modernization’s rushed timeline neglects drivers’ woes
The transport sector is one of the major contributors to carbon emissions. As the world moves towards renewable energy sources, how do we ensure a just transition for the public transport sector in the Philippines? Our Klima Fellows Mavic Conde and Ronalyn Olea from Bulatlat produced a two-part report exploring the government’s jeepney modernization program, which envisions greener public transport.
[Klima Reports] Solar empowers Pala’wan indigenous women to save basketry tradition, natural forest
In the mountainous Sitio Kamantian in Palawan province, the indigenous Pala’wan women turn to solar power not only to light up their community, but to save their long tradition to weave baskets, traditionally called “tingkep.” This story by Keith Anthony Fabro and Jee Geronimo, our Klima Fellows from Rappler, explores how renewable energy lights up an indigenous village, empowers women to uphold their traditions, and helps save the natural forests.
[Klima Reports] [S]ILAW
What lessons can we learn from a far-flung community in northern Cordillera on securing power from renewable energy sources? Raymund Villanueva and Rosemarie Alcaraz, our Klima Fellows from Kodao Productions, traveled to Apayao to document a small village’s journey and experiences with micro-hydropower.
RE storage now a reality, private sector urged to invest
QUEZON CITY, November 26, 2022 – As renewable energy (RE) technologies have become more efficient and affordable, the reality of energy storage systems (ESS) fills the gap that constrains the increase of RE's share in the power generation mix of the Philippines. With ESS, the variability of RE becomes a [...]
ICSC awarded for best practices in mainstreaming gender in the environment sector
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) was awarded by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), and the NAPC Women Sectoral Council for its best practices in mainstreaming gender and development (GAD) in the environment sector, along with Women in Emergencies Network (WENet) and Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK).
US ties up with Lopez-led EDC to study geothermal potential [BusinessWorld]
A UNITED States agency is providing Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC) a grant of $413,120 to do a feasibility study for the development of a geothermal power plant in Mindanao. In a press release published on its website, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) said it launched along with US Vice President Kamala Harris the grant — valued at P23.56 million in the local currency — to study the geothermal potential of the southern island’s Amacan area.
Private sector urged to incorporate sustainability and long-term resilience in business strategies
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the private sector is urged to incorporate sustainability and long-term resilience into their business strategies in order to thrive in the new normal while dealing with the current economic challenges, which includes investing in the welfare of their employees, suppliers, and customers.
Increasing RE should take priority over going nuclear, think tank says [BusinessWorld]
INCREASING the share of renewable energy (RE) in the power mix should take priority over the Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) plans to introduce nuclear power, an energy think tank said.
Top emitters urged to provide concrete climate action despite G20 leaders reaffirming 1.5C goal [ABS-CBN News]
The G20 Media Center was set abuzz as members of the information desk announced the joint communique is ready for public view. A draft communique seen by some the night before showed that G20 leaders will close their summit in Indonesia this week with a strongly worded statement against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. But climate advocates have been waiting on bated breath as there were fears major economy leaders are backtracking on their pledge to limit global warming to 1.5C.
G20 declaration provides momentum as COP27 nears end, but falls short in energy transition [PhilStar]
Leaders of the Group of 20 nations renewed their commitment to keep alive the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and recognized the need to phase down the use of unabated coal, giving hope to boost the climate summit in Egypt.
RE share of 80% seen needed for PHL to become Paris-compliant [BusinessWorld]
THE Philippines can only comply with its Paris climate commitments with an 80% share of renewable energy (RE) in its power mix by 2030, an energy think tank said.
V20 and G7 jointly launch Global Shield against Climate Risks at COP27
The Vulnerable 20 Group of Finance Ministers (V20) of 58 climate vulnerable economies and the Group of Seven (G7) today officially launched the Global Shield against Climate Risks, an initiative for pre-arranged financial support designed to be quickly deployed in times of climate disasters. Initial contributions include around EUR 170 million from Germany and more than EUR 40 million from other countries. In addition, a broad coalition of countries, multilateral institutions, non-state and private sector partners has underlined their full institutional commitment to Global Shield. The first recipients of Global Shield packages – called Pathfinder countries – include Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Fiji, Ghana, Pakistan, the Philippines and Senegal.
Shifting to RE generates significant savings – companies
QUEZON CITY, November 14, 2022 – Businesses and companies in the Philippines weighed in on the savings and positive impacts on the private sector brought by renewable energy through the Department of Energy’s Green Energy Option Program (GEOP), in the first of three webinars of the “Pilipinas: Aspire, Rise, Sustain” [...]
TAKING ROOT: Culture and the Arts for Climate Action
Youth, artistic collectives, and climate advocates gathered at the historical memorial in Plazuela de Santa Isabel, Intramuros for a local arts fair, sharing stories and art about collective memory and hope in the midst of the climate crisis.
Filipinos most worried about climate change but… [ABS-CBN News]
Filipinos are the ones most worried about climate change in an ASEAN-wide survey. But they also have the biggest proportion of respondents who mistakenly think that their country has a target for reaching net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Tacloban steers local climate solutions 9 years after Haiyan
TACLOBAN CITY, 11 November 2022 – Taclobanons continue to power their communities with portable solar energy systems, strengthening their climate and disaster resilience nine years after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit the city. Barangay officials and electricians, government trainers, and humanitarian workers assembled seven portable solar-powered devices or TekPaks as [...]
CVF Calls Glasgow Climate Pact ‘Broken’, Following New Assessment of NDCs
The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) today at COP27 issued a major new report which uses a traffic light approach to show that G7 and G20 major economies are stuck on ‘red’ in terms of their NDCs’ alignment with the 1.5ºC goal of the Paris Agreement.