Energy-efficient MSMEs, climate-smart industry roadmap pushed

Two initiatives to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) become climate-smart and resilient will be supported under the government’s TRANSCEND Project, which aims to strengthen climate finance in the Philippines.

“With livelihoods and infrastructure as key focus areas of NAP, MSMEs, which comprise 99 percent of businesses in the Philippines, need to be equipped with the capacity to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, technology and adaptation measures,” Climate Change Commission (CCC) commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera said at a multisectoral workshop with the theme “Kababaihan, Kalikasan, Kabuhayan — Building Climate-Resilient Livelihoods for Women,” held on 25 March at the Meralco Lighthouse by the Department of Trade and Industry, WomenBizPH and UN Women.

Herrera said the development of a Climate-Smart Industry Roadmap that will guide MSMEs in enhancing energy efficiency and climate resilience will be supported under the TRANSCEND Project being implemented by the CCC and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with support from the German government.

Also to be supported under the TRANSCEND is direct support to small-scale manufacturing and food processing enterprises in building their capacity for energy-efficient operations, alongside policy support at the national level, Herrera added.

TRANSCEND, short for “Transforming Climate Finance in the Philippines through Climate Budget Tagging and Institutionalization of Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review,” is about making climate spending more transparent, accountable and impact-driven.

The key objectives of TRANSCEND are the institutionalization of climate budget tagging (CBT) by embedding CBT into the national and local budgeting systems to track and report climate-related expenditures.

Other objectives are to enhance and improve the methodology and regular conduct of Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Reviews by assessing how public funds are used for climate-related programs; capacity building by training government agencies, especially at the local level, to better plan, budget and monitor climate actions; and policy integration by supporting policies and institutional frameworks that mainstream climate change in planning and budgeting processes.

Meanwhile, Herrera highlighted the Nationally Determined Contribution Gender Action Plan (NDC GAP) as a framework to support gender-responsive and inclusive approaches in achieving the country’s NDC targets — which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030.

She emphasized that the agricultural, waste, industry, transport and energy sectors are traditionally considered male-dominated in terms of labor composition especially for those in senior-level management, yet when given the opportunity, women can thrive not just as skilled workers but as industry leaders.

“Strengthening partnerships creates opportunities to put women at the center of climate action. This not only empowers women but also fosters a unified and collaborative approach to building a climate-resilient business sector,” said Secretary Robert E.A. Borje, CCC vice chairperson and executive director.