ILOILO City – In a bid to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Green Convergence – a coalition of advocates for a sustainable environment and economy – in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), opened the 5th Philippine Environment Summit on Wednesday, February 19, here.
The event, which runs until February 21, highlights the theme “Ako Ang Bukas” (I am the Future): Quantum Leap to Climate Neutrality.”
The “Ako Ang Bukas” movement, launched by Green Convergence in 2020, centers on the campaign “Quantum Leap Now: Climate Neutrality 2050,” developed through consultations with various non-government organizations in response to escalating climate change effects.
The summit’s main objective is to encourage individuals, businesses, schools, and other entities to take an active role in reducing carbon emissions by tracking and managing their carbon footprints.
Green Convergence president Victoria Segovia emphasized the importance of addressing pressing climate issues, including “heatflation” affecting crop production, wildfires in Los Angeles, California due to extreme heat, and the severe winter storms disrupting millions in the mid-Atlantic regions.
Segovia challenged participants to consider the climate mitigation measures being implemented in their communities, as well as what actions governments and individuals can take to reduce carbon footprints and move towards net-zero carbon emissions.
Dr. Angelina Galang, trustee and gonvenor of Green Convergence, shared that this is the fifth summit organized since the launch of the campaign in 2020. Despite the many environmental conferences and workshops already conducted, she stressed the growing urgency of addressing climate change, citing the effects of rising temperatures, destructive typhoons, and droughts.
Galang highlighted the need for greater self-awareness, urging everyone to assess their individual contributions to climate change by measuring their carbon footprints. She explained that Green Convergence has developed a calculator tool to help track emissions, allowing individuals and entities to monitor their progress in reducing their carbon footprints.
“We developed this calculator so that we can measure the carbon we are emitting. If we do this regularly, we can track if we’re making progress and lowering our emissions,” Galang said.
She urged households, businesses, and even religious groups to adopt this practice for a collective effort in addressing global warming.
Galang also pointed out simple actions individuals can take to reduce carbon emissions, such as turning off lights during daylight hours, using recyclable bags, recycling plastic bottles, walking for short distances, and conserving water.
“The world is striving for carbon neutrality by 2050. Our country is working to reduce its global carbon contribution, and local government units (LGUs) are mandated to track their carbon footprints as well,” Galang added. “This summit is focused on finding practical solutions to lower our emissions, and the sessions will tackle these challenges in depth over the next three days.”
The summit’s three-day program will showcase a variety of environmental projects and initiatives aimed at protecting and restoring the environment, while also promoting sustainable socio-economic development in communities./PN
