9 more firms join Net Zero Carbon Alliance
MANILA -Nine companies have joined a multilateral consortium focused on achieving carbon neutrality for the Philippines in a bid to lessen the country’s carbon dioxide emissions.
According to the Net Zero Carbon Alliance (NZCA), the consortium established by Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC), the new members include professional organizations company British Standards Institution, listed cement producer Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc., process improvement solutions provider ECC International, electric vehicle provider EV Mobility Ventures Inc., and First Philippine Industrial Park, a joint venture between conglomerate First Philippine Holdings and Japan-based Sumitomo Corp.
Also joining them are cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines, snack food giants Mondelez Philippines and Monde Nissin Corp., and integrated management system provider People360 Consulting Group.
“Over the past year, we have received interest from numerous organizations and companies to be part of NZCA—a strong indication that many businesses are now aware of the need to step up their decarbonization programs,” Jerome Cainglet, EDC president and chief operating officer, said during the consortium’s second anniversary forum held last week.
Crafting net-zero plans
EDC formed NZCA with 13 initial members in 2021 to gather best practices from partner companies to achieve the net-zero carbon emission target in the Philippines.
Laure Beaufils, British Ambassador to the Philippines and Palau, urged the existing and new members to craft effective net-zero plans and help combat the drastic impacts of climate change.
“We need to set interim, short-term targets to assure implementation, as well as medium- and long-term targets … Measurement, reporting and verification will be at the forefront of the next chapter of climate action,” Beaufils said.
She recognized, however, that not all institutions had the same capabilities and resources to implement their plans, and encouraged NZCA to help provide better access to green financing and other capacity-building tools.
