The Makakalikasan Party rejects the Philippine government’s low ambition for shifting to renewable energy; targeting only a 35% renewable energy mix for 2030 that may lead to just 50% by 2040. This in turn will make it virtually impossible within the decade of 2041-2050 to reach zero emissions targets and a total shift to 100% renewable energy for the country.

The country is a low GHG (greenhouse gas) emitter at 3/10th of 1% of global emissions and thus not part of the major cause of global warming in the past and until today. However, we are a fast growing economy with a relatively modest population growth. Together with other similar middle income countries we will eventually catch up as  major GHG emitters in the near future if we continue to follow the same development patterns of industrialized countries that have become before us; including that of our energy mix. 55% of our greenhouse gas emissions come from energy production. Today, only 24% of our energy mix comes from renewables.

Contributing to the global call for zero emissions by 2050 to avert climate disaster is a matter of survival for the human species. The Philippines must not only target the reduction of GHG based on our current contribution to the problem, but we must anticipate our future contribution and have enough time to refocus our development to avoid not becoming part of the problem and contributing to the climate mitigation actions now. 

Having high ambitions for GHG emission reductions with a zero emission target by 2050 will ensure that as a early-onset country of the impacts of climate change that we retain our “moral ascendancy” to support global efforts of industrializing countries to claim accountability from industrialized countries on demands for lost damages, deep cuts on GHG emissions, sufficient & timely climate action financing and other similar positions.

Furthermore, with the huge potential of renewable energy sources, our swift shift to 100% renewable energy at the shortest period will give the country a huge advantage in the future as the rest of the world shifts to renewable energy. Let us not allow ourselves to be lured by dirty energy technologies that are being peddled to us by industrialized countries looking for markets for these obsolete technologies that their transition to renewable energy requires them to dispose of. Let us instead build from our strategic advantage. Let us keep our focus on shifting to renewable energy by 100% by 2050 beginning with rejecting the country’s current NREP (National Renewable Energy Plan of 2020-2040) with its low targets.

For more information:

Rommel Ortega -National Spokesperson

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