The Road to Renewables: Turning Vision into Local Action
By Mel Matthew Doctor Note: Mel currently serves as the Senior Campaign Officer for Energy Policy at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, and was acting project lead of the 2025 Road to Renewables: Conversations on Energy Transition Roadshow. During one of the focus group discussions in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, one participant said, “Energy is not just about power—it is about opportunity, resilience, and the future we choose to build for our communities.” This quote struck me during the roadshow because the energy transition is not just policy—it is about real change in people’s lives. Across the [...]
Sustainable energy is not a privilege, but a right for all
by Charisse Maxine Parchamento Editor’s Note: Cha is a Campaigns and Advocacy Officer of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, focused on energy policy. In my job interview for ICSC, I introduced myself with a precaution: I have limited knowledge and experience in the renewable energy (RE) sector, and it might take some time for me to become confidently familiar with it. My then-interviewers (now, colleagues) assured me that I’d learn about it in the process of working with the Energy Policy Team, and implementing its RE advocacy initiatives. I felt scared and unsure because I [...]
Learning Drives us Forward on the Road to Renewables
by Miguel Joachim Balburias Editor’s Note: Mojie currently serves as a Data Analyst with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities’ Energy Policy team. You have nothing to prove, but everything to learn. This was something my college mentor used to tell me all the time. It grounded me then, but I somehow forgot it when I entered ICSC. As this was my first job, I felt a heavy pressure to prove my worth. This feeling grew even stronger when, less than a month in, I was asked to join the Iloilo leg of the CASE Road [...]
Charged for Change
by Jedidiah Yabut Editor’s Note: Jed is currently a Data Analyst with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities. The Road to Renewables: Conversations on Energy Transition in Tacloban City was a four-day gathering focused on one big goal: localizing the Philippine energy transition. National policies are important, but they don’t mean much if local governments, communities, and cooperatives can’t translate them into action. That’s what this event aimed to do: bridge the gap between ambition and the realities on the ground. It brought together mayors, vice mayors, regional planners, civil society leaders, academics, journalists, and private sector [...]