DOE pushes for sustainable energy at UN meet

The Philippines expressed full support for the United Nation’s energy thrusts that run parallel with the country’s own agenda such as ensuring energy security, promoting a low carbon future, achieving total electrification and improving energy efficiency.

In a statement, the Department of Energy said there was a need to strengthen the resiliency of energy infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, noting it was a “key priority area” for regional cooperation especially in the face of the intensifying effects of climate change.

“The Philippines would like to propose an emergent priority initiative to develop and strengthen energy infrastructure resiliency in the Asia and the Pacific region,” Energy Undersecretary Jesus Cristino Posadas said.

He made these comments during the recent meeting of the newly established Committee on Energy of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap) held recently.

Posadas told the meeting at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand that the Philippines also backed the restructuring of the commission, including the establishment of an energy committee.

The DOE official led high-ranking delegates as chair and topic discussions moderator of the session on “Energy Transition and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.”

He emphasized the need for regional energy cooperation and interconnectivity to achieve the sustainable development goal of providing affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy for the power-consuming public.

The Philippine initiative pushed by Posadas was supported by other international contingents and was positively acknowledged by the energy committee.

On the subject of power infrastructure connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region, Posadas clarified that “we do not refer only to the physical power transmission network or the gas or oil pipeline, but also the information and communications network, both its software and hardware.”

“This is an enabler of the development of electricity spot markets and smart communications technology which makes possible the two-way flow of electricity,” he added.