British gov’t assures greater support for Philippine energy sector

The British Embassy said it will continue to support the development of a “green” economy in the Philippines, stressing the significant role that renewable energy can play in securing national energy supply.

British Ambassador Stephen Lillie said Wednesday that renewable energy is as important for the Philippines as it is for the United Kingdom, as the “expanded use of energy sources such as biomass, wind, solar and hydropower can reduce reliance on uncertain supplies of traditional fossil fuels like coal and oil. That’s important for our energy security, and for tackling climate change.”

“As we’re discovering in the UK, developing renewable energy as part of a wider shift to a green economy has the potential to create thousands of new jobs. In 2011, companies announced plans for almost £2.5 billion (approximately P170 billion) worth of investment in renewable energy projects in the UK, with the potential to create almost 12,000 jobs across the country,” Lillie said in a statement.

He also said the UK had taken steps forward in renewable energy use as it hosts the world’s largest installed capacity of offshore wind energy, while UK companies and research institutions are world leaders in developing technology to generate electricity from ocean tides.

Lillie added that the potential to apply ocean technology in the Philippines is “exciting” as it is made up of over 7,000 islands.