The Philippines is currently ranked as the country most at risk from natural climate threats, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2024-2025 Global Perception Survey. This ranking is based on three critical indicators: exposure to climate-related hazards, population susceptibility, and a lack of coping and adaptive communities.

Last month, the FINEX Foundation, through its Environment Committee led by Chairman Goody Hernandez, hosted a pivotal forum titled “LEADING GREEN: Transforming Business Through Innovation and Sustainability.” The event successfully gathered visionary leaders, policymakers, and changemakers to explore how innovation, finance, and collaboration can drive a more sustainable and resilient Philippines.

With her topic “Innovation for Adaptation: Building a Climate-Resilient Philippines,” BSP Assistant Governor and Chief Sustainability Officer Pia Bernadette Roman Tayag underscored that climate change is not just an environmental issue—it is fundamentally an economic and financial one.

She shared sobering facts: 79 percent of the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) is tied to areas vulnerable to natural hazards, and the country loses about 1.2 percent of its GDP annually due to typhoons and floods. Furthermore, in emerging markets, 80–98 percent of losses from natural disasters remain uninsured.

Miss Pia emphasized that resilience should be viewed as an investment, not merely compliance. She encouraged businesses to integrate climate risks into capital planning, insurance, and supply chains and to work closely with banks in turning risk maps into financed adaptation projects.

From finance, the conversation moved compellingly to the oceans. Daniel Scheler, President of One Earth – One Ocean, delivered a presentation on “Waves of Change: Protecting Marine Ecosystems.” His organization began with a small, self-built river-cleaning device in Munich and has since grown into a global operation with 30 vessels working to remove plastic waste from waterways. His message was clear: resilience requires collective action and behavioral change. Through initiatives like the SeaHamsters and SeaCows platforms, One Earth – One Ocean engages communities to turn environmental awareness into action and transform “waste into waves of change.”

Next, Christopher Iligan, Corporate Affairs Lead for PepsiCo Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and North Asia, shared the company’s holistic sustainability framework called PepsiCo Positive—an end-to-end transformation strategy that places sustainability at the heart of its operations. In tackling the Philippines’ persistent plastic waste challenge, PepsiCo has partnered with Evergreen Labs to develop local circular economy solutions that both reduce waste and uplift marginalized communities. As a gardener myself, his discussion on regenerative agriculture and circular economy principles was close to my heart, demonstrating how global corporations can root their sustainability goals in local innovation, partnerships, and inclusive growth.

Third Lava, Partner for Audit Assurance – Climate & Sustainability at Deloitte, explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping sustainability practices. Globally, 81 percent of companies are already using AI for sustainability initiatives, with 65 percent leveraging it to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. Mr. Lava suggested that organizations can use technology to build a sustainability roadmap, integrating green practices into tech implementation, using more sustainable materials, developing eco-friendly products, and adopting energy-efficient operations.

The Leading Green Forum reinforced an essential truth: Achieving sustainability demands innovation, collaboration, and shared accountability.

From financial institutions and multinational corporations to NGOs and communities, every sector has a role to play in shaping a more climate-resilient and sustainable Philippines. This message resonates even more deeply as we experience stronger, more frequent typhoons and destructive flooding—visible reminders that climate change is real and urgent.

Recognizing this urgency, the FINEX Environment Committee decided to update its decade-old Climate Change and Natural Farming Primer into a new Sustainability Handbook.

The updated handbook will include sections on Environmental Awareness and Governance, reflecting how sustainability goes hand in hand with ethics and responsible leadership. It will serve as a guide for business leaders and individuals seeking to align profitability with purpose.

Sustainability does go hand in hand with ethics and governance. The recent flood control scandal reminds us how dishonesty and greed can erode not only trust but the very economy we are trying to build.

Let us adopt some simple eco-friendly habits. We can Reduce (the use of electricity, water, etc.), Reuse, and Recycle. Manage waste responsibly—avoid single-use plastic and bring a bag when shopping. Compost fruits and vegetable scraps. Plant, Plant, Plant, are just some examples. Let’s help in our own little way. Most of all, let us also strive to “do the right thing right”—even when no one is looking.