With the Philippines exposed and vulnerable due to dependency on the importation of fossil fuels, climate policy advocacy group Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) is urging President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to achieve energy independence and stability by prioritizing renewable energy as part of its developmental agenda.
The call came in the wake of the president’s declaration of a national energy emergency in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle between the United States and Israel against Iran which has consequently triggered extensive oil supply disruptions and a global energy crisis.
According to ICSC executive director Angelo Kairos Dela Cruz , the need for a comprehensive, sustainable approach to address the crisis is now at the center and prioritizing renewable energy (RE), public transportation and community-led resilience solutions is on top of the measure needed to be taken by the government.
Dela Cruz stressed that the government should move away from the country’s overreliance on fossil fuels (because) the country’s import-dependent energy system leaves it exposed to volatility while private gains persist during crises.
“(Prioritizing renewable) will make us independent from international shocks, protect us from the volatility of global markets, help stabilize power costs and strengthen our ability, as a nation, to manage the crisis,” the climate police advocate pointed out.
He likewise highlighted the need for a system-wide approach to address transportation concerns, prioritizing people over vehicles even as he advised that government subsidies should be channeled toward interconnected public transport routes, safer infrastructure and technical support.
Moreover, Dela Cruz also cited the crucial role of local government units (LGUs) in advancing resilience solutions: “LGUs have already been taking the lead toward resilience in their localities . . . We do not need to start from scratch: practical and efficient solutions already exist, and it is only a matter of learning from and scaling these approaches.”