Elevated sustainable living through circular economy
We’re not only being mindful of our waste, but we’re also being purposeful with what we do with it.
Daily TribuneWe’re not only being mindful of our waste, but we’re also being purposeful with what we do with it.
Elevating the sustainability conversation Participants in AboitizPower’s virtual event on a circular economy: (Top row, from left) AboitizPower vice president for reputation management Suiee Suarez; research and development and communications specialist for Humble Sustainability Rianna Bengzon; Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Management of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños Dr. Rico C. Ancog; (bottom row, from left) AboitizPower president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Rubio; and #BetterTogether host Neli Marzo. | photograph courtesy of aboitizpower
As the country's leading producer of renewable energy, sustainability has always been at the core of AboitizPower's philosophy and business operations.
Alongside the company's commitment to delivering 4,600 megawatts of sustainably-sourced energy by 2030 — or around 50 percent of its targeted 9,200-MW portfolio — AboitizPower continues to go further in its mission for a sustainable future by implementing environmentally-conscious practices at its offices and sites, and encouraging team members to integrate sustainability into their lives.
Beyond tree planting activities or coastal cleanups, AboitizPower is elevating conversations on sustainability across its subsidiaries. Just recently, the company held a virtual event where guest speakers discussed the circular economy and offered ways to harmonize it with the day-to-day of both the company's business operations and the lives of team members.
Leading the event, AboitizPower president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Rubio talked about the urgency of finding solutions that mitigate the impact of businesses on the environment and ensure the well-being of people and communities that are directly affected.
"We take this challenge to heart in 1AP, and that is why I'm proud to share that we are taking big leaps to integrate the circular economy mindset into our business operations. We're not only being mindful of our waste, but we're also being purposeful with what we do with it," Rubio said.
He highlighted the Fly Ash Ecobrick Project undertaken by AboitizPower and its partner Green Antz, a Philippine-based circular economy and innovation group. The project takes fly ash waste from the thermal plants of AboitizPower and is processed into a viable raw material that creates durable, long-lasting ecobricks for construction. The resulting ecobricks are stronger than regular hollow blocks, cost less per square meter than the usual construction materials, and benefit the Inawayan and Binugao partner communities of AboitizPower in Davao.
Other speakers at the event were Dr. Rico C. Ancog, the current dean of the School of Environmental Science and Management of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, who touched on the development of the circular economy in the Philippines, and Rianna Bengzon, research and development and communications specialist for Humble Sustainability, one of the homegrown Filipino organizations looking to close the loop and make a circular economy more accessible and profitable for local enterprises.
