CarbonPH pushes climate financing, nature-based solutions

CarbonPH Coalition, an alliance of leading Philippine companies pushing for nature-based solutions and sustainable practices, wrapped up its 2025 Education Series with a high-level forum on climate finance and nature-based solutions — underscoring the growing momentum between the public and private sectors in advancing decarbonization and climate resilience.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), a lead convenor of the coalition, has been spearheading the lecture series to facilitate dialogue on nature-based solutions and strengthen climate initiatives across industries.

During the session, the Department of Finance (DOF) highlighted its efforts to expand access to climate finance for local governments, particularly through the People’s Survival Fund (PSF), the country’s dedicated financing mechanism for LGU-led climate adaptation projects. The DOF also emphasized ongoing work to tap large-scale funding opportunities from domestic and global climate sources, while helping shape international financial frameworks that support climate action.

“We want to make sure climate finance reaches the ground. That means deeper partnerships with LGUs, civil society, the private sector, and our international partners,” DOF Director John Adrian Narag said.

Bukidnon Representative Jose Manuel Alba, chair of the House Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, outlined legislative measures being developed to make investments in nature more scalable and financially viable. Among the key proposals under consideration are the Green Infrastructure Act, the Carbon Rights Bill, and the Low-Carbon Economy Investment Bill.

“We have 2.7 million hectares of seagrasses and 5.4 million hectares of ancestral domain forestlands. The potential is there. The land is there. The communities are there. What’s missing is the legal framework to unlock capital—and that’s what we are building in Congress,” he said.

Private-sector representatives likewise reaffirmed their support for deeper collaboration in scaling nature-based solutions and unlocking climate investments, especially for high-risk localities that need technical assistance in project preparation and access to financing.

Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, First Vice President and Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, stressed the importance of collective commitment in pushing climate finance and nature-driven interventions forward.

“When government leadership meets private-sector commitment, we create the momentum needed to scale nature-based solutions nationwide. Resilience must become part of how we build, invest, and plan for the future,” she said.

Throughout 2025, the CarbonPH Coalition Education Series gathered experts and industry leaders to deepen discussions on carbon policies, climate resilience, and collaborative climate action. As the year closes, the coalition reiterated its commitment to supporting national climate goals through nature-based solutions, stronger local capacities, and partnerships that place resilience at the center of sustainable development.