PH gets highest rank in ‘energy sustainability’

Published January 8, 2018, 10:00 PM By Myrna M. Velasco

https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/01/08/ph-gets-highest-rank-in-energy-sustainability/

In the 2017 Trilemma Index report of the World Energy Council (WEC), the Philippines has been ranked for the third time at the top tier when it comes to environmental sustainability one of global think tank’s criteria on energy ranking, but the country’s “balance index” dropped to number 70 from its higher 61st ranking in 2016.

For the high rating that the Philippines cornered on environmental sustainability though, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi opined that this still merits a celebration for a country heavily battered with criticisms on its current energy mix having coal as its baseload technology preference.

He said the energy department “welcomes the good news that the Philippines for the third straight year landed number one in the WEC Trilemma Index on environmental sustainability.”

Nevertheless, in all 125 countries ranked by the WEC, Philippines was ranked on the 70th place when it comes to overall “balance index;” third when it comes to those of other countries in the Southeast Asian region; with Singapore at number 24; and Malaysia at number 35.

Other ASEAN neighbors have scored lower though on “balance index” compared to the Philippines – with Indonesia at 75th place and Vietnam at number 89, according to the WEC report.

On environmental sustainability, WEC noted that the Philippines has the highest rank because it was able to take advantage of the opportunity of “integrating green” on its mix because of the government-underpinned renewable energy program.

The WEC ranked the countries though not just on the “environmental sustainability” of their energy systems, but it similarly factored in energy security, energy equity as well as country context. The Philippines ranked low on affordability of its energy prices.

“The top 10 in environmental sustainability is dominated by states that are able to take advantage of their renewable energy potential such as Iceland, Philippines and Costa Rica, which all have higher geothermal or hydropower capacities,” the WEC report stressed.