WWF-Philippines is enjoining the private sector to work towards convening a Philippine Alliance for Climate Action

 

WWF-Philippines is enjoining the private sector to work towards convening a Philippine Alliance for Climate Action in the culmination of the UNITED FOR CLIMATE: Sustainability Forum held at the Conrad Manila on November 28, 2022. The forum, hosted by SM Investments Corporation, gathered business owners, partner suppliers, policy makers, and civil society organizations in a multi-sectoral dialogue on climate action.

“Through a Philippine Alliance for Climate Action, companies can work together to create a shared vision and synchronized action plan. We hope this can be a way for the private sector -as the engine of our economy - to accelerate efforts for the single goal of keeping global warming to 1.5C,” WWF-Philippines Executive Director, Katherine 'Trin' Custodio said.

(L-R) Ms. Tina Marasigan, Hans Sy Jr. of President of SM Engineering Design and Development Corporation, Raymond Rufino CEO of Neo Group, David Aboitiz of Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Sales for Aboitiz Renewables Incorporated, Mr. Hans Sy Chairman of the Executive Committee, Ms. Trin Custodio Executive Director of World Wildlife Fund Philippines, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Edwin Africa -  Executive Vice President and the Corporate General Manager and the Group Business Unit Head  Century Pacific, Hindy Weber co-founder Holy Carabao holistic farms, Juan Manuel Hoyos - President of Nissan Philippines, David Lim -Chief Supply Chain and Sustainability Officer of Universal Robina Corporation and Mr. Mon Isberto

“We hope that this forum will launch sector-wide discussions on innovative climate strategies across Philippine industries. The next steps will be to agree on a way forward and a timeline, and how all can progress towards a unified, private sector-led climate action plan that is context-specific, adaptive, and truly Filipino,” said Hans Sy, Jr. of the SM Group who was also one of the forum’s keynote speakers. 

“Together with WWF, we invite you to carry on with the discussions from COP 27 - this time, bringing them closer to home. We urge that we look at our climate agenda through the lens of the Philippines’ agenda and the realities that Filipino businesses and local communities face every day,” SM Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. Dy Buncio said in his opening remarks during the forum.   

The forum kicked off the joint efforts to fight climate change through a series of “fireside chats” given by the business leaders, policy makers and environment experts from around the region. These discussions allowed participants to share insights, best practices, and other information that could form the foundation of a practical climate action plan.

The panel of experts include Noel Peters of the Asian Development Bank, Head of Wetlands International Philippines Dr. Annadel Cabanban, and the President of the Center for Conservation Innovations Dr. Neil Aldrin Mallari.  

Keynote speakers Sec. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga of the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR), Maria Isabel Garcia, Chairperson of WWF Philippines, provided the context for ambitious action which are the global double emergency of biodiversity loss and climate change, and the delivering the country's climate commitments.

Sustainability is one of the biggest challenges facing the planet. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global emissions need to be reduced by 50 percent by 2030 to avoid significant climate-related catastrophes. The Philippines is one of the signatories of the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change and has committed to reduce the country’s carbon emissions by 75% by 2030.

WWF-Philippines is releasing a white paper to help the Philippine government in the upcoming implementation of the EPR Law

Conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines) is releasing a white paper to help the Philippine government in the upcoming implementation of the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) Law.

 

After years of dialogues, the Extended Producers Responsibility Act of 2022 finally lapsed into law last July 23, 2022. Right after its passage, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) started multi-sectoral consultations to craft the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the EPR Law. 

WWF-Philippines lauds this monumental achievement in the battle against plastic pollution as the EPR scheme is a critical policy tool that holds producers accountable for the full life cycle of their products and packaging. EPR is an environmental policy approach that emerged in the 1990s and is now increasingly recognized globally as a useful tool for accelerating the transition to sustainable waste management and a circular economy. This scheme encourages waste reduction through the elimination of unnecessary packaging of products, the development of more environmentally friendly packaging design, and the recovery of plastic packaging from the trash in order to reuse or recycle them back into the production process.

 

To successfully implement the EPR Law in the country, WWF-Philippines, through discussions with other stakeholders from different sectors, highlights several key points that the IRR must include and give clarity. 

 

First, the IRR must clarify the role and powers of the Producer Responsibility Operator (PRO) as they will play a huge role in the implementation of the EPR system. Public registries and information data banks should also be readily available for monitoring and guidance. 

 

Secondly, eco-modulation or the adjustment of the EPR fees based on the packaging of the product should be emphasized and ensure that the fees will support the improvement of our solid waste management system. Investments should also be made in research and development, technology sharing, and the reduction of plastic waste in the country.

 

Another important point that WWF-Philippines underscores is labeling, which is an important aspect to facilitate proper re-use, recycling, return-to-manufacturer, and other means to circulate the material in the system. Lastly, EPR programs should be inclusive and integrated into the existing solid waste management system of our country.

 

“We at WWF-Philippines commends the Philippine government for taking concrete actions against plastic pollution. EPR Law is a very important instrument that will shape the future of our initiatives against plastic pollution. Our work now is to implement together with all stakeholders and ensure that we are adopting a human-rights-based approach in doing so.”, said Czarina Constantino - Panopio, Program Manager for No Plastics in Nature initiative. 

 

According to studies by WWF-Philippines, Filipinos each consume a yearly average of 20kgs of plastics, and 15.43kgs of it becomes total plastic waste. The country is also suffering from a very low plastic recycling rate of 9%. The report further estimates that the Philippines leaks about 35% of plastic waste into the environment. 

 

WWF-Philippines actively pushes for actions against plastic pollution through its “No Plastic in Nature Initiative”. It is WWF’s global initiative to stop the flow of plastics entering nature by 2030 through the elimination of unnecessary plastics, doubling reuse, recycling, and recovery, and ensuring remaining plastic is sourced responsibly. Through this initiative, WWF-Philippines has been working with cities on plastic leakage, policymakers to advocate for a global treaty on plastic pollution and EPR, businesses to transition to circular business models, and the general public to campaign and act. 

 

To know more about WWF-Philippines and its initiatives, please visit https://wwf.org.ph/

 

5 Tips for Businesses to Achieve a Plastic Pollution-Free Christmas

Plastic pollution in the Philippines has already reached an alarming rate and continues to be one of the top environmental challenges for the country and the rest of the globe.

 

According to a report released by WWF-Philippines in 2020, Filipinos consume a yearly average of 20kg of plastics, from which 15.43kg/cap/year becomes waste. Insufficient recycling capacities for high value recyclables (i.e. PET, PP, HDPE) and the high volume of low value plastics (including sachets) are some factors that affect the country’s low plastic recycling rate, at 9%. The report further estimates that the Philippines leaks about 35% of plastic wastes into the environment.

 

With the economy slowly opening, WWF-Philippines encourages businesses to integrate plastic pollution-free practices to fight plastic pollution. 

Here are some useful tips for business owners on how they can participate in creating a plastic pollution-free Christmas this 2021.

Take Accountability

 

Businesses should acknowledge that they are accountable to the plastic pollution problem. We want businesses to assume full responsibility for products they bring to the market. It is with accepting this that taking actions comes in from reduction goal setting, adopting circular solutions, and contributing in stopping plastic waste leakage. 

 

Provide plastic-free options to consumers

 

We encourage businesses to offer plastic-free options to consumers through “bring your own” scheme and having the option to refuse unnecessary plastic items. Some major fast food restaurants are already doing this and we encourage other businesses to do so. We wish that businesses be at the forefront to consumers about reducing plastic consumption. 

 

Segregate and divert recyclable wastes 

 

For necessary plastics, we wish businesses to segregate and divert through partnering with recyclers and social enterprises. It can sometimes get complicated with the plastic types but it is important to start using the numbers in the plastic products to help facilitate its recycling. You can partner with a local junk shop to help identify items that they can buy. There are also a number of social enterprises like Trash Panda, Plastics by Manila Automat, Plastic Flamingo, and Green Antz, among others that offer collection partnerships. You can also work with your city/ municipality to work on models to improve the current waste management system. 

 

Share best practices and collaborate with other businesses

 

Collaboration is important in working towards sustainability. It is with conversing with other businesses that are doing their fair share in reducing plastic pollution that we learn which to adopt and what to improve on in our operations. We wish businesses to work together within the industry and with other industries so we all learn how to improve our current system. 

 

Support the EPR Scheme in the Philippines 

 

WWF-Philippines is pushing for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), an environmental policy approach introduced in the 1990s for accelerating the transition to sustainable waste management and a circular economy. We wish businesses to take responsibility and push for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme in the country.  

 

EPR relies on two factors - improvement of product design and recyclability and improvement of waste management systems - and businesses here in the Philippines have stepped up to the challenge, taking sustainability seriously, by working on both upstream and downstream measures to address the plastic crisis.

 

More and more businesses worldwide have gotten on board with EPR, and several businesses in the Philippines have also adopted the policy by working on both upstream and downstream measures to address the plastic crisis. With enough support, EPR can be a solid foundation for other businesses and even the government to adopt. It is currently gaining traction among legislators in Congress with House Bill 9147 or The Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation Act and Senate Bill 2425 or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2021 which both seek to enact mandatory EPR.

 

As we enter the holiday season, we wish for businesses to take part in our journey towards a vision of no plastics in nature by 2030. 

Reef makes a pledge for cleaner beaches

Single-use plastics are among the biggest pollutants found in our oceans today. A whopping 32% of plastic packaging being left to the environs, with 8 million tons of plastic packaging wind up in the ocean each year.

Dedicated to making sure beaches stay clean and healthy, international beach apparel brand Reef pledges to use the fun, freedom and spirit of the beach to champion a better life for people and plane by achieving 1,500 beach clean ups, remove 150,000 lbs of trash, and engage 30,000 volunteers around the world this year.

In line with their global pledge, Reef locally mounted their Free the Sea Movement 3 in San Juan, La Union in partnership with WWF-Philippines which aimed to encourage people to live a sustainable lifestyle by not using single-use plastics that are harmful to the environment, specifically oceans.

Reef is proud of their PVC-free products such as sandals enhanced with Eco One, an organic additive that enhances the biodegradation process, which makes them 100% biodegradable.

Reef’s pledge for cleaner beaches is in line with their latest campaign Beach Freely, which encourages everyone who steps into the sand or into Reef products to experience the beach in their own way and take that fun spirit of the beach with them wherever they go.

Celebrate Earth Hour on March 28 by giving The Gift of Light

When the sun sets at Beton, Northern Palawan, children struggle their way to education using kerosene lamps to light up everything which is hazardous to one's health and costly at the same time. WWF-Philippines which organizes  Earth Hour locally,  finds a way by providing solar lamps to light up off-grid island communities to help the children studies at night. Solar lamps will help them create a lasting sustainable change in their lives.

WWF-Philippines, which organizes Earth Hour locally, revealed its switch-off plans at a press launch led by WWF International Director General Dr. Marco Lambertini, WWF-Philippines National Ambassadors Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez, plus WWF-Philippines Climate Solutions Steward Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworksi last February 27, 2015 at Dusit Thani, Makati.

Around 15 million Filipinos lack regular access to electricity, relying instead on flammable and expensive kerosene lamps to illuminate their homes. “I must earn an additional PHP150 (USD3.5) each month to buy half-a-gallon of kerosene,” says Joys Dominguez, a 35-year old fisherman from the island community of Beton in Northern Palawan. “I have four small kids. If they tip over just one of the lamps, our wooden hut can burn down. I need safe lights for my family.”




To help families in Palawan safely and economically light up their homes, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines shall deploy hundreds of portable solar lamps. “Solar lamps rely on the power of the sun, eliminating the need to buy fuel. We’re teaching communities to veer away from fossil-fuels, the burning of which contributes to climate change,” explains Earth Hour Philippines head, Atty. Gia Ibay. “The money Joys and other beneficiaries will save can buy basic needs like food, books and clothes.”

This year’s main switch-off shall be held at the Quezon City Memorial Circle from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM on March 28, Saturday night. “In the spirit of promoting meaningful climate solutions, we encourage Pinoy families to stay at home and observe the hour through low-carbon means – but everyone who wishes to join us at Quezon Circle will be treated to a surprise. A clue – come in sporty attire and bright colours,” reveals Ibay.

Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off lights for 60 minutes to deliver a powerful message on the need for decisive climate change solutions. In the past eight years, the movement has grown from a symbolic switch-off event in Sydney, Australia to the world’s largest open-sourced environmental campaign mobilising hundreds of millions of people in more than 7000 cities and 163 countries.

“More than a symbolic switch-off for the planet, Earth Hour aims to deliver concrete solutions to people in need. Last year, we deployed hundreds of fibreglass boats to help fishers affected by Typhoon Yolanda. This year, we will offer off-grid communities The Gift of Light,” says WWF-Philippines CEO Joel Palma. “Earth Hour’s message is clear. When we unite towards a common goal, we can change climate change.”

Donate here:http://wwf.org.ph/earthhour/give-the-gift-of-light