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19 September 2008
While Australia grapples with how best to structure its
emissions trading scheme, many of its nearest neighbours are still
coming to grips with the concept of measuring and reporting on
greenhouse gas emissions.
At the United Nations Climate Change conference in Bali last
year, the Philippines’ environment secretary Jose Atienza
recognised the potential impact of global warming on his country,
describing it as “one of the most vulnerable to the effects of
climate change”.
The country has moved to adopt renewable energy targets and
incentives, but is still working with other ASEAN nations to adopt
a credible greenhouse reporting system for the region.
But with an increasing number of international companies now
operating in the archipelago – largely thanks to the mining boom –
there is a growing awareness of greenhouse issues and a need for
greenhouse measurement services.
International professional services company GHD has been
providing its Australian clients with greenhouse gas inventory,
assessment, benchmarking and verification services and has moved to
do the same in the Philippines with the secondment of two members
of the environmental team from its Manila office to Melbourne to
learn about greenhouse gas reporting.
Junisse Palanca-Mercado, an environmental engineer, and
environmental scientist Katja De Guzman will spend up to two months
in Australia working on local greenhouse gas assessments and
audits.
Junisse said while there was no legislation in place in the
Philippines around greenhouse reporting, there was a growing demand
for services, particularly from international companies conscious
of the triple bottom line.
“When foreign investors come in they’re being watched very
carefully so they’re trying to be as responsible as they can,” she
said.
The Philippines is experiencing a fresh mining boom following
the lifting of restrictions on foreign-owned mines. However, the
new generation of miners are far more environmentally conscious and
keen to avoid the environmental catastrophes of the past.
The country’s energy sector is also thriving, with the
Philippines’ growing population driving demand for more baseload
power. This has forced the rehabilitation of old, coal-fired power
plants – with greenhouse implications – and a push towards
renewable sources of energy such as hydropower and biofuels.
Existing power stations in the country are also being privatised,
resulting in a growing demand for services such as environmental
audits and assessments, which are key to improving the performance
of the facilities.
For further information, contact:
Sonia Adams