CCC: PH’s carbon emissions on the rise  

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s national carbon intensity continues to rise despite growing private-sector efforts to cut emissions, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) said.

At the recent Philippine Net Zero Conference 2026, CCC Secretary Robert E.A. Borje said the local market’s fossil carbon dioxide emissions have jumped by 25 percent since 2021.

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“At the national level, the absolute emissions trajectory still moves, however, in the opposite direction,” Borje said.

The Philippines, along with 174 countries, signed the Paris Agreement—an international treaty on climate change that aims to keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C.

The Philippine government has committed to cut emissions by 75 percent by 2030. It hopes to achieve this by pursuing support from public-private partnerships and additional financing from foreign groups.

Borje stressed the private sector’s crucial role in meeting the target.

However, big corporations need to focus more on their respective efforts. He noted that out of the 137 listed Philippine firms, only 20 companies have clear, year-to-year carbon information.

Without disclosing the entity, he said one major firm logged 230 tons of emissions in just four minutes of operations.

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“That scale tells us where the greatest leverage lies. Individual choices matter, but bending the national curve will require decisions about assets, contracts, technologies, and capital,” he said.

The Net Zero Carbon Alliance (NZCA) earlier urged the government to provide stronger support to achieve the goal. The Philippines remains the only country in Southeast Asia with no net zero target.

Allan Barcena, executive director of the NZCA, said the government must still “set the direction and the tone,” as its participation is crucial to accelerating private-sector efforts. /pai