A lawmaker on Wednesday stressed that the First Disaster and Climate Emergency Policy Forum is expected to "lay the groundwork for President Marcos's call for a way forward for renewable energy in the context of climate change in the Philippines."
Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda made the statement in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s commitment to a governance framework that will allow us to harness the power of renewable energy during the President's United Nations General Assembly speech.
"We are heeding President Marcos's call by convening the country's leading climate-related institutions, multilateral and private sector financing groups, the big energy companies, and civil society and academe, to reassess our path to climate change adaptation and mitigation," said Salceda, who chairs the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Salceda said given the President's pronouncements and priorities, the direction must be towards renewable energy.
The climate forum on 22 September will be attended by executives from the Departments of Finance, Energy, Interior and Local Government, Budget and Management, Environment and Natural Resources, National Economic Development Authority, the National Security Council, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Climate Change Commission.
"The aim is really cross-pollination of ideas. We want to come up with the most viable, durable, and financeable ways forward for the country's energy transition. So, we gathered the ones who can take action," the lawmaker said.
Senior Representatives from the World Bank, UN Development Programme, Asian Development Bank, Global Green Growth Institute, Japan International Cooperation Agency and from local banks such as the LandBank, Development Bank of the Philippines, Bank of the Philippine Islands and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation will also lead panels to discuss the financing of renewables.
Executives from the First Philippine Holdings, Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc., the PNOC-Renewable Energy Corporation, and Aboitiz Power will also hold a panel on "The Role of the Private Sector in the Philippine Energy Transition."
Governors and mayors, leaders from the academe and civil society groups, former Cabinet members, and other key attendees are also expected in the event.
