DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Antonia Loyzaga has called for a “whole-of-society” approach to accelerate the decarbonization of industries in the country.

Loyzaga made the call during the recently-held Nordic-Philippine Climate Executive Dialogue in Manila, wherein she pointed out that the country’s commitments in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the Paris Agreement can only be achieved if all stakeholders work together by using nature-based solutions for carbon reduction as the primary strategy in achieving net-zero targets.

The Philippines pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 under the NDC, while it committed to help limit global warming to less than 2°C under the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“Every fraction of a degree counts. And so, we must all work together to achieve what we must envision as our common goal for a safe and sustainable planet,” Loyzaga said.

“We need to prioritize the opportunities identified in the Philippine Development Plan that has just recently been launched, including capacity development on sustainability; environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting; conduct of capacity assessments; developing biodiversity-friendly enterprises and ecotourism sites; our investments in forestry; and an integration between sustainable land, coastal and marine planning,” Loyzaga added.

During the dialogue, Loyzaga highlighted some of the DENR’s current priorities in the sectors of energy, solid waste, transportation, mining, and urban resilience and invited everyone to collaborate with DENR in achieving the country’s environmental goals.

Loyzaga, on the other hand, explained that with regards to energy, they are now reviewing the environmental processes on all on-shore and off-shore solar, wind, and power projects to facilitate more capital investments in the renewable energy sector and speed up the country’s global standard competitiveness.

She further said that the department is also assessing all waste-to-fuel and waste-to-energy technologies to address the country’s growing solid waste problem and move toward a circular economy.

The DENR also recently released the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs) for the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, which requires large companies to establish a mechanism for the proper management of plastic packaging waste.

It also focuses on sustainable mobility, particularly in the shipping sector, which involves the transition to alternative sources of fuel and looking at the upskilling and reskilling of professional seafarers to make our workforce more competitive in a more digital and complex world.

Loyzaga also shared that the DENR believes that responsible and sustainable mining can be an effective economic driver toward sustainable development.

She said there is a need to stimulate the industry and push it towards a safe and sustainable practice called the mitigation hierarchy, which follows the steps of avoidance, minimization, restoration, and offsetting compensation for affected communities.

Loyzaga pointed out that resilience must be examined through the lens of leadership, human development and infrastructure, economy, environment, and human security.

The Nordic Embassies of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden expressed their commitment to support the various climate actions and strategies that the Philippines is working towards to address climate change.