Philippines sets 50% renewables target by 2030

MANILA, Philippines –The Philippines said Tuesday it was aiming to generate half its energy from renewable sources by 2030, in a significant upgrade from current efforts.

Energy Secretary Rene Almendras released what he described as a “roadmap” to a more sustainable energy future, outlining plans to develop wind, biomass and ocean sources.

“The (roadmap) aims to increase the renewable energy-based capacity of the country three-fold by the year 2030,” Almendras said in a speech to launch the updated targets.

He said that currently one third of the Philippines’ installed generating capacity came from renewable sources, although just 26.3 percent of the total electricity produced nationwide came from these plants last year.

Energy Undersecretary Jay Layug told AFP that, under the new roadmap, renewable capacity would hit 15,000 megawatts by 2030, making up at least half of the country’s energy mix.

“That is more or less the target,” Layug told AFP in a telephone interview, referring to the 50 percent renewable figure.

Mark Dia, country representative of environment campaigners Greenpeace, told AFP the plan was a more ambitious update of the government’s original target to double renewable capacity between 2010 and 2030.

However, he said the government had failed to fully demonstrate its commitment to cleaner energy.

Despite the updated renewable plan, most of the government’s confirmed new power generation projects lined up were still based on greenhouse gas-producing coal, according to Dia.

“I think the language used today does not conform with the ambitions of the plan,” Dia said.