By Marianne Grace Sarmiento / Special to the BusinessMirror
AS the world moves from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals for a more sustainable future, countries all over the world are challenged to pledge commitments in battling vulnerabilities brought by rapid industrialization and urbanization.
Role of education
Ateneo Institute of Sustanability Director Ma. Assunta Cuyegkeng said that apart from the benefits, one must also understand the consequences of urbanization especially on the environment.
Cuyegkeng highlighted the importance of education in creating sustainable cities at the Sustainable Cities and Energy Transition forum held at De La Salle University on October 8, which was part of this week’s French Embassy-led COP21: The Road to Paris Starts in Manila in celebration of Climate Week. COP21 is the 21st session of the Conference of the Climate Change from November 30 to December 11 in France. She said that policy- and decision-makers must have knowledge in urban planning, systems perspectives and a long-term view—for continuity even in change of administration.
“It helps to broaden our perspectives. We have to see beyond disciplines in solving real-world problems. We have to see the systems, interaction and feedbacks and be guided by the goal of building a just and sustainable society,” Cuyegkeng said. Citing Laudato Si, the papal encyclical, she noted the importance to see the shift in paradigm, where people with technical knowledge and economic resources are able to control the direction of the development of a society. She added that people must move from a compulsive consumption to a more sustainable consumption.
Bridging renewable-energy divide
Melvin Purzuelo, co-convener of a nonprofit organization Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy, shared some of the initiatives in Western Visayas in promoting a more sustainable renewable energy (RE) use, particularly solar power. He cited that in 2008, Republic Act 9513, also known as the Renewable Energy Act, was passed, where consumers can produce their own electricity and sell excess to utility/grid like the Manila Electric Co.
He said that in Iloilo in 2009, a resolution mandates that those residential houses that have RE sources are provided with 20-percent discount for real-property tax payment for five years as incentive.
He said that solar panels have improved significantly from less than 20-percent efficiency. Now with new models, efficiency is increased up to 38 percent. He said that compared to the 2008 price of P200 per watt, it can now be acquired for as low as P40 per watt, or a reduction of around 80 percent.
After Supertyphoon Yolanda (international codename Haiyan) hit the country, some islands in the area set up solar-energy lamps after all grid systems collapsed due to the storm’s wind velocity of 300 kilometer per hour.
A Solar Lamp Charging Project donated by Philippine Physicians from Louisiana is also implemented at Mount Baloi, Iloilo. Solar batteries are used and charged at the eight charging stations installed servicing 200 families of indigenous people communities.
He is optimistic that in the future, solar energy can be utilized in urban communities because its cost is going down with its high efficiency and durability.
At present, he cited that the approved service contract for solar energy is around 2,000 megawatts, which is higher compared to the Philippine energy plan target of only 50 MW up to 2015.
While the increase may pose an alarm because large lands are being converted to solar-energy farms, he hopes that the government may manage the country’s energy mix well so that the RE divide may be narrowed and poor communities may also receive its benefits.