A survey has shown that to reduce the capital’s CO2 emissions, Metro Manila can benefit greatly from more co-living buildings, as these reduce the daily number of vehicles on the road.

In Metro Manila, traditional transportation, mostly jeepneys, buses and private cars, are major sources of carbon emissions and the manner by which young professionals commute daily. In a report to the Philippine Climate Change Commissioner, the Philippine Climate Change Assessment Working Group noted in late 2018 that transportation is the second highest contributor of total greenhouse gases in the Philippines, with 35 percent of total emissions.

With each MyTown building we build, we aim to improve people’s quality of life, regain time otherwise lost in traffic, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and educate tenants about how to help do their part.

MyTown, the first and largest co-living brand in the country, with investors such as SM Investments Corporation and Franklin Templeton, currently has over 3,000 co-living beds located in close proximity to major business districts such as Bonifacio Global City and Makati CBD. This allows young professionals to give up their daily commute and instead enjoy the amenities and events MyTown offers its tenants.

The result of the survey showed that young professionals living in MyTown together managed to curb more than 875 metric tons of CO2 emissions, up from 451 metric tons during last year’s Earth Day. This is equivalent to the CO2 absorbed by around 1,000 acres of forest land for a year, or almost 14,000 tree seedlings planted for ten years, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s website. The emission data used is from published work by Herbert Fabian, Transport program manager at Clean Air Philippines.

“With each MyTown building we build, we aim to improve people’s quality of life, regain time otherwise lost in traffic, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and educate tenants about how to help do their part,” group director Jelmer Ikink said.