PCCI questions gov’t gas emission reduction goal

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Wednesday warned that the government’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent by 2030 may put undue pressure on local industries and strain the growth of the economy.

In a letter to Climate Change Commissioner Emmanuel de Guzman, PCCI president George T. Barcelon said that while the chamber supported the government’s initiatives to cut carbon emissions and promote business resiliency and environmental sustainability, the group was concerned of the possible toll of this “high target” on local industries, consumers and the economy.

“We are very much concerned on how this 70 percent commitment will impact on industries, especially those in the manufacturing sector and the small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” Barcelon said.

Barcelon said a 70 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction within a 30-year period might be “counterproductive” for many companies. As it is, the 40-percent reduction supported by the private sector was deemed the threshold by which industries could reduce their carbon emission.

“If the interventions to reach a 70 percent reduction would be capital-intensive, enterprises and industries would be under pressure to incur higher operational costs and consumers would also be paying higher for goods and services. The target annual economic growth of 6.5 percent in the next few years would be compromised with the implementation of capital-intensive interventions,” the PCCI chief said in a statement issued Wednesday.

With Philippine manufacturing only starting to revive, the measures that would be adopted must balance the need to sustain economic growth with the need to protect the environment, he said.

The Philippines’ plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions formed part of its commitment under the international climate accord signed in New York last month. This agreement was adopted by 196 countries that participated in the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held in France in December last year.

The country’s emission reduction efforts were expected to come from several sectors including energy, transport, waste and forestry.