The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) will explore alternative transport options and other green initiatives following the signing of the agency’s climate-change declaration.
In a news statement issued on Tuesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said the declaration provides that the Neda commits to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions requiring the oversight agency to use ride sharing or point-to-point shuttles for employees, among others.
The Neda Declaration on Climate Change, likewise, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to conserve the environment and natural resources.
“This declaration is a call to action for the present generation to live sustainably and help reduce the detrimental effects of climate change, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations,” Pernia said.
“It will also provide the much- needed framework that will guide and enable Neda to implement concrete actions that ensure the protection and conservation of our environment and natural resources,” he added.
The Neda Climate Change Strategy is a multicomponent initiative aimed at implementing measures that reduce the agency’s ecological footprint and energy and water consumption, as well as reduce per- capita greenhouse-gas emissions, while maximizing productivity.
The first component is the dissemination of a promotional video on climate change, and the signing and adoption of the Neda Declaration on Climate Change.
The second component involves mainstreaming sustainable consumption practices in the workplace like water and energy conservation, efficient use of resources, reducing the use of plastic, waste reduction and recycling, and workplace greening through rooftop or vertical gardening.
The last component is the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework that assesses the overall effectiveness of the Neda’s green initiatives, which could include a reward system that incentivizes good practices.
“With this initiative, we hope to set an example among our stakeholders and encourage other government agencies to follow suit. Together, we can all make a big impact in reducing the effects of climate change,” Pernia said.
The creation of the strategy stemmed from the Philippines’s signing of the Paris Agreement on March 23, 2017, as well as Republic Act 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009.
The Neda also took into consideration the country’s scientific studies which find that the Philippines is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change.