The Philippines is identified as one of the most at risk countries to disasters caused by climate change. The country experiences an average of 20 tropical cyclones every year, with eight to nine making landfall. In the last decade, rampaging tropical cyclones resulted in P673.3 billion in losses and damages.
Because of climate change, the Philippines is also increasingly becoming exposed to longer and harsher dry seasons, invariably impacting economic activities and productivity due to effects on the health and well-being of Filipinos.
Without drastic cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions, the Philippines is expected to face even more severe climate change impacts in the near future. Amid these challenges, expanding stakeholder participation is critical as part of whole-of-society approach to transformative climate action.
Cooperatives are key stakeholders that can play a vital role in helping Filipino communities cope with and adapt to climate change impacts.
The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) defines cooperatives as “autonomous and legally registered associations of persons, with a common bond of interest, who have voluntarily joined together to achieve their social, economic and cultural needs and aspirations by making equitable contributions to the capital required, patronizing their products and services.”
In simple terms, cooperatives are publicly owned businesses that provide financial, resources and knowledge support to its members and their households.
In the Philippines, there are roughly 20 types of cooperatives, including credit, service, multipurpose, electric, transport, housing, fishermen and agriculture coops. Often, these cooperatives operate at a community level, directly giving support to local community members. By fostering local resilience, promoting low-cost and sustainable solutions and services, and undertaking information and education programs, cooperatives empower communities to better address risks, prevent disasters, and minimize and manage calamities driven by climate change.
“In the face of worsening climate change impacts, cooperatives are indispensable actors in raising the climate resilience of Filipino communities. By providing technical knowledge and financial assistance to its members, cooperatives promote grassroots transformation along the lines of sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, renewable energy, eco-friendly transportation and resilient communities,” said Secretary Robert E.A. Borje of the Climate Change Commission.
Energy cooperatives can support the transition towards clean, renewable and sustainable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectricity and move away from fossil fuels.
Relevant technologies and innovative tools can be made more accessible to members to greatly reduce dependence on fossil fuels and provide choices to foster behavioral changes in consumers.
Transportation cooperatives can advocate eco-friendly approaches to move people, goods and services by developing a comprehensive and integrated sustainable, multimodal public transportation plan. They can also scale up the use of efficient engines and explore sustainable power sources for transportation systems, thereby actively reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Fishing and agriculture cooperatives, on the other hand, can introduce sustainable and modern systems of aquaculture and agriculture to members. Likewise, multipurpose cooperatives and other types of coops can offer opportunities to local members to run microbusinesses economically and, at the same time, sustainably.
Moreover, financial cooperatives can offer financial assistance to members, which can be used as start-up capital for members’ sustainable business venture. Extending this further, cooperatives can strengthen and green the supply chain by providing targeted financing and support for clean and sustainable products. Cooperatives, too, can provide safety net mechanisms for climate-induced damages to their livelihoods.
Building on these foundations, cooperatives can be considered natural allies in the country’s fight against climate change.
Beyond promoting sustainability and resiliency, cooperatives actively engage in community education. This grassroot involvement can be enhanced by advocating for climate policy changes and supporting projects already championed by cooperatives. Moreover, cooperatives hold a strong driving capacity to usher innovation and research, particularly in developing climate-smart solutions using information and communications technology.
Despite the numerous opportunities and impactful potentials of cooperatives in the Philippines, however, they still face a plethora of challenges.
Many cooperatives in the country, especially agricultural coops, face financial constraints and lack access to technical assistance. This decreases their ability to implement sustainable practices efficiently. Likewise, due to the country’s high vulnerability to climate risks and natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, flooding and earthquakes, many cooperatives struggle with business continuity and operations. Furthermore, many of them are hindered in promoting sustainable practices within their communities due to lack of financial and knowledge resources.
These challenges underscore the need for the government to continuously support cooperatives financially and technically. It also highlights the need for more policies that recognize the integrity and imperativeness of cooperatives in the Philippines’ venture towards climate change adaptation. In this regard, efforts by the CDA to empower, capacitate and support cooperatives are recognized.
The CDA has integrated sustainability and innovation as part of these efforts, as well as including active discussions on climate change adaptation and mitigation to further strengthen cooperatives.
In the Philippines’ very first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) created and adopted under the Marcos Administration, cooperatives are included as part of the country’s climate solutions, stressing a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach to raising climate resilience.
The NAP incorporates inputs from various stakeholders, including cooperatives, to enhance community-based adaptation efforts and promote sustainable development across sectors. The NAP covers the importance of robust partnerships with cooperatives in the effective implementation of strategies for food security, water management, and livelihood protection.
The roles and impacts of cooperatives in Philippines’ climate action are multifaceted, multidimensional and cross-sectoral. Investments made by the government for the full development of Philippine cooperatives are rightly key for them to become broad-based instruments of social justice, equity and balanced national progress and climate resiliency.
