Atienza, Angara propose steps to address climate change

ENVIRONMENT and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza on Friday stressed the need to shift to low carbon economy to address the climate change.

“The adverse effects of climate change and the need to ensure sustainable economic recovery and growth from the world financial crisis compel all of us to adopt the green growth strategy,” said Atienza during the East Asia Ministerial Climate Forum held in Seoul, Korea.

The forum was organized by Korea and attended by ministers and high-level officials of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Mongolia and India; representatives of multilateral institutions; experts and representatives of various non-government organizations.

Atienza participated at the forum as a Lead Discussant on invitation of Korea Prime Minister Han Seung soo.

He said that Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) projects are “integral part of the green growth strategy that will also provide jobs and livelihood to Filipinos.”

DENR records showed that the Philippines now has a total of 27 projects endorsed and registered with the CDM Executive Board of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Atienza also indicated that there are 33 more CDM projects in the pipeline.

“This makes the country No. 7 in the world, in terms of the number of CDM projects under the Kyoto Protocol,” Atienza said.

Atienza said the projects are expected to prevent the emission of 1.36 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in the atmosphere every year.

The Environment department  has been assigned in 2004 as the Designated National Authority for CDM projects in the Philippines by virtue of Executive Order 320.

As this developed, Sen. Edgardo Angara on Friday called for the introduction of renewable energy courses in colleges to hasten energy independence and combat climate change.

He cited predictions by experts that by 2014, clean energy will be one of the biggest industries. He also noted that many governments have tied economic recovery plans with promoting renewable energy and green jobs.

“The global economy is turning a green leaf with the emergency of clean energy industries, with universities at its forefront,” he said in a press statement.

Angara, the principal author and sponsor in the Senate of the Renewable Energy Act, said more students in rich countries have become more interested in renewable energy science.

“The University of Ohio has introduced masteral degree programs in RE. Others such as Stanford, Yale and the University of Michigan offer joint degrees through their business and environmental schools. In the University of Virginia, sustainability studies have been integrated into engineering, architecture, business and other disciplines,” he said.

He also cited the case of Iceland where almost 90 percent of the energy needs are sourced from renewables.

“Iceland has a Renewable Energy School that offers graduate-level programs on renewable-energy science and advanced energy systems,” he noted.

He stressed that universities and colleges in the developing world play a more crucial role in making renewable-energy technologies more affordable and accessible, without the support sophisticated financial systems in developed economies provide.

Angara contended that creating green campuses will translate the Filipinos’ keen awareness of global warming into careers that will not only propel the country toward the clean-energy industry, but also promote a sustainable and progressive development.

Coincidentally, Atienza during the forum forged two bilateral agreements on the promotion and investments in CDM projects in the country with Hwan Ik Cho, president of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and Dr. Jin-Gyu Oh, managing director of Korea Energy Economics Institute.

“The high interests of Korean investors to promote and explore carbon credit projects here proves the huge potential and attractiveness of the Philippines as an investment area for CDM projects,” said Atienza.–Ira Karen Apanay and Efren L. Danao, Manila Times