Strategies to address greenhouse gas emission identified

THE Climate Change Commission (CCC) is now identifying activities and strategies to better address greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in the country, an agency official said.

CCC Commissioner Naderev Saño said the National Government has to look at strategies in decoupling economic growth from emissions that will bring major advances in energy efficiency of products and services, power generation, building and transport, significant increase in the use of renewable energy, and lower emissions from land use.

“The Philippines’ contribution to the global GHG emission is less than one percent but a shift to a sustainable, low-carbon economy will spur economic growth, social inclusion and preservation of the environment,” Saño said.

Saño added the effort is part of the commission’s commitment to an international program on Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB) that supports developing countries to craft Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (Nama), Low Emission Development Strategies (Leds) and Measuring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient Development Strategies. The LECB project will be implemented for a period of two years from 2011 to 2014.

“We need to establish a system for the preparation of GHG emission inventories and formulate Nama and Leds roadmaps within the context of national development priorities,” Saño said.

The Philippines is among the 25 countries worldwide that is participating in the LECB program.

Saño said RA 9729 or the 2009 Climate Change Act has put in place the legal framework for the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change in the Philippines.

“The mitigation pillar of the framework strategy has the long-term objective to facilitate the transition towards low GHG emissions for sustainable development in the areas of energy efficiency, environmentally sustainable transport, sustainable infrastructure, national REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) strategy, and waste management,” Saño added. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)