Climate issues require solutions—and concerted efforts among all sectors could help address these.
The 4th Philippine Environment Summit, with the theme “Caring for Earth: Scaling up Solutions to the Climate Emergency,” will be heldFebruary 21-23 at Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City and seeks to deliver this.
According to Sr. Elizabeth Corranza, newly elected President of Green Convergence, the conference targets to make known breakthroughs and innovations in the areas of food safety, environment and natural resources protection and sustainable economy.
“This summit aims to highlight and formulate recommendations in the arena of climate issues,” explained Corranza.
Dr. Angelina P. Galang, Green Convergence Program Committee Head, emphasized that solutions to environmental problems likewise address climate change and vice-versa.
“Transitioning to renewable clean energy avoids emitting greenhouse gases as well as health hazards,” Galang shared.
“Protecting and growing forests to increase absorption of carbon from the atmosphere prevents erosion and floods and increases our water supply. Regenerating our coastal ecosystems increases our carbon sink and protects coastal dwellings and fish habitats.”
This year’s summit calls for all Filipinos to take responsibility as the country responds to the climate change issue and invites everyone to take part in the “Ako ang Bukas” challenge towards carbon neutrality in 2050.
The three-day event features a bevy of speakers from government, business, and civil society including the academe, faith-based groups, NGOs, indigenous peoples and grassroots communities who will have displays and presentations in the exhibit area.
Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Loyzaga, Energy Development Corporation Chair CEO Federico Lopez, and Palawan NGO Network Executive Director Robert Chan headline the list of resource persons from government, business, and civil society, respectively.
A peek at the program reveals national and local government officials invited to share their respective greenhouse gas inventory systems and programs to mitigate climate change and its impact.
Parallel to the governments’ efforts are those of academic institutions, which have taken on the “Ako ang Bukas” challenge of quantifying their institutions’ carbon footprint.
Well-established groups like OCEANA Philippines, the National Women’s Council of the Philippines and Energy Development Corporation will speak on their programs on marine and land ecosystem care.
Youth and grassroots communities’ representatives from as far as Cebu, Sarangani, and Bukidnon will cover ridge to reef programs to show that profit, service, and planet protection can and should co-exist.
Included in the showcase are the scaling up of known and emerging technologies, including recycling of e-waste, stand-alone island renewable energy systems and the distribution of renewable energy in the dioceses.
Innovations also cover the use of a variety of flies for composting, feed and fertilizer; low-cost production of ice for refreshment and livelihood, vetiver grass as seawall, erosion control and absorption of organic leachate, the collection and preservation of native climate-resistant rice seeds, and discussions on peatlands and permaculture and other organic agriculture strategies to renew and increase land productivity.