Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:36 AM
July 26, 2019
SHOW OF FANGS VS FOSSIL FUELS In a
2018 protest action, environmentalists in T-Rex costumes challenge the
country’s three biggest coal companies to lead the Philippine transition to
renewable and clean energy sources like wind and solar. Coal, a fossil fuel, is
a major contributor to global warming. —JAM STA. ROSA
An energy and environment think tank
has called on the Duterte administration to issue an executive order to
fast-track the development of renewable energy sources while reducing
dependence on coal.
The Center for Energy, Ecology and
Development (CEED) made the appeal after President Duterte directed Energy
Secretary Alfonso Cusi in his State of the Nation address on Monday to speed up
the development of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on
traditional energy sources such as coal.
Environment
groups said the President’s statement should be the signal for government
officials to speed up the transition to cleaner energy alternatives, including
solar and wind.
Provide clear directions
Gerry Arances, CEED executive
director, said an executive order would formalize the President’s plan and
provide clear policy directions to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“We also encourage Energy Secretary
Alfonso Cusi and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to outline what it means for
its standing policies on permitting processes concerning energy projects and
coal-fired power plants in the pipeline,” Arances said in a statement.
“We do not want the offices mainly
mandated to pursue this transition to be the ones contradicting the President’s
commitment to the people.”
Both agencies drew flak from green
groups after the DENR recently issued an environmental compliance certificate
to a 15-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Palawan province.
The plant would adversely impact the
public health and biodiversity in the province, dubbed the country’s last
ecological frontier, according to anticoal advocates and residents.
Coal, a fossil fuel that emits
greenhouse gases, still dominates the country’s current energy mix. It is seen
as a major contributor to global warming.
The share of coal was expected to
grow with 30 coal projects in the pipeline, Arances said, even as anticoal
groups warned that coal-fired power plants were increasingly becoming stranding
assets.
The Philippine Energy Plan,
formulated by the DOE, also projects increasing coal use for at least two more
decades.
Its growth continues even after the
passage in 2008 of the Renewable Energy Act, which pushes for a transition away
from fossil fuels.
Clear signal
The Climate Change Commission (CCC),
however, said the President’s directive sent a clear signal to policymakers,
regulators, investors and energy industry executives to promote and invest in
more affordable, reliable and cleaner power infrastructure.
“Renewable energy can provide a
major share of the Philippine electricity mix in a stable and reliable manner,
and at the same time, increase energy self-sufficiency and reduce
supply-related risks,” said CCC Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman.
“We must act swiftly to transform
our energy sector and to deliver its socioeconomic benefits to the Filipino
people,” he added. —JHESSET O. ENANO
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