Despite the country's aggressive efforts to go renewable, a report by global energy think tank Ember showed that the Philippines produced only 22 percent of its power from renewables last year. This is below the global average, which calls for a just and urgent need to shift away from coal dependency and invest in green energy research.
In the path toward renewables, electric solutions company AboitizPower is taking steps to achieve green energy and support a future where the Earth is inhabited by a sustainable society.
Green talks
At the recently concluded Manila Bulletin Sustainability Focus Session, held at the University of Santo Tomas on Sept. 30, 2024, AboitizPower’s Vice President for Corporate Communications, Ronald Suarez, announced that the company will soon be building wind farms, which offer an eco-friendlier way to generate electricity than coal, the "dirtiest" fuel.
He also revealed they will now be switching to electric vehicles in its distribution utility business.
“These vehicles are always on the road, and they travel a lot and cover a lot of distance over time. Switching to electric vehicles now in our distribution utility business really makes sense because our business in distribution utility is in Davao and Cebu,” he said.
The company committed to attaining a 50:50 ratio of renewable and thermal sources by 2030. Its renewable energy developments include hydro, geothermal, and solar power plants, with hydro sources accounting for 15.32 percent of the business’ total net sellable capacity, the highest among its other renewable sources.
"We must prioritize climate change adaptation and resilience in light of the impact of climate change. Therefore, energy transitions must be tailored to each country based on varying levels of climate responsibility," he said, highlighting the minimal contribution of the Philippines to climate change.
Suarez also called for support in the industry’s transition to clean energy and sustainable development.
“Our country must push for more reliable and secure energy to support our development. It's also important to attain this in a manner that is tailored uniquely to the Philippines, which might be radically different with the pathways and timelines of other developed countries in terms of energy transition,” he said.
In its 2022 report, AboitizPower’s total renewable capacity accounted for 1,248 MW. This improved a year later, reaching 1,281 MW.
“As part of the global community, the Philippines must contribute despite the minimal emissions. We have a shared responsibility to combat climate change. Having our own timeline and our own transition pathway as a country should be something that we can afford as Filipinos,” he expressed. “Keep yourself updated about energy because there's a lot to learn about it. The energy system is very large and complex. It's not just generation, but also transmission.”
Efforts for a greener tomorrow
According to AboitizPower, it monitors its water footprint and maximizes efforts to conserve and recycle water through watershed management programs and rehabilitating its communities’ rivers and creeks.
Its rainwater harvesting program, through its subsidiary, Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI), allows the company to treat seawater efficiently and source its water requirements for process and domestic use from seawater. TVI has built a water treatment facility with a capacity of 5608.3 m3/day.
In terms of waste management, the company stated that through a total of 246 coastal and river cleanup efforts, 162,847 kg of waste was collected. Meanwhile, it recycled 240 tons of waste it produced in 2023.
For tree planting, the power business said it has planted over 12 million trees across the country, with 5 million trees coming from AboitizPower tree planting efforts. It also stated that it planted 2.5 million trees on 6,127 hectares from 2017 to 2023.
AboitizPower pushes for clean energy, one step at a time, to contribute to achieving a greener future where sustainability is not sidelined. As power sectors transition, we must also do our shared duty of helping the Earth regain its natural balance.
It’s time we begin to adopt a sustainable mindset, which starts with a habit. Make a conscious effort to unplug outlets at home when not in use, bring your own bag when buying groceries, and bring the state of the environment—both the good and the bad—to conversations in households or at work. The due date to help the environment was decades ago.
The Manila Bulletin Sustainability Focus Session was held in collaboration with AboitizPower, Arthaland, Ayala Land, RLC Residences, Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, Shell, SM Development Corporation (SMDC), and the University of Santo Tomas.