Held at the Asian Institute on Management (AIM) in Makati City on December 12-13, 2024, the Renewable Energy (RE) Congress brought together some 200 energy consumers, practitioners, and experts to reflect on the policies and programs addressing energy access, affordability, reliability, and resilience amid the government’s Paris Agreement commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Under the theme “REcalibrate, make Renewable Energy right,” the event delved into recommendations and innovative solutions for national and local policies and other initiatives in order to address energy poverty and security, and climate change.
The event also tackled ways to broaden stakeholder participation in achieving the target renewable energy share in the power generation mix, and an energy transition that is just, inclusive, and sustainable.
MULTISTAKEHOLDER ROADMAP
The annual RE Congress, now on its 7th year, co-organized by the Center for Empowerment, iNnovation and Training on Renewable Energy (CentRE) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Philippines, underscored the importance of multistakeholder involvement in realizing just energy transition.
One of the highlights of this year’s Congress is the charting of multistakeholder roadmap on just energy transition. The delegates, divided themselves into several breakout groups consisting of women, youth, academe; local government units, home owners, housing associations, indigenous peoples; transport and power industry workers; and electric cooperatives, solar installers, renewable energy developers, and financial institutions.
All stakeholders identified three key sectoral concerns in advancing renewable energy; changes the sector wants to see in the next five years to advance just energy transition; and efforts or initiatives of the sector that can be used to leverage and can contribute to the desired changes.
STAKEHOLDER RECOMMENDATIONS
Workers stressed the need to ensure better working conditions and government assistance to transport workers transitioning to cleaner vehicles, and equitable access to power generation especially for electric cooperatives.
The private sector raised the importance of partnerships with electric cooperatives, national and local government units, and the banks in renewable energy project development as well as in financing.
Women and the youth pointed out the lack of awareness, capacity building, and space for their involvement in achieving the RE targets.
For the communities and LGUs, they identified capacity-building and knowledge sharing as key requirements in coming up with effective programs, and the need for dedicated resource allocation to realize the RE programs.
Ludwig Fedrigon representing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources welcomed the stakeholders’ recommendations that were presented at the RE Congress plenary session “Charting Just Energy Transition Framework and Roadmap” on December 13. He agreed that the Just Transition roadmap should be people-centered, inclusive, and equitable. Furthermore, he encouraged continued dialogues between and among various stakeholders, and that all voices in the society must be heard.
The group outputs were shared with government agencies leading the National Just Transition Roadmap development in the Philippines — the DENR, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Energy — as well as with the Asian Development Bank which supports the government process.
DECENT WORK PRINCIPLES
Supporting the recommendations of the workers, Bernard Paul Mangulabnan, OIC Chief Labor and Employment Officer of the Department of Labor and Employment’s Institute for Labor Studies, remarked “just energy transition should observe the four fundamental principles of decent work.”
As for the Department of Energy, Renewable Energy Management Bureau Director Marissa Cerezo supported the recommendation to further streamline the process of securing permits for green projects.
She pointed out that the move is currently being implemented, helping to finish and complete projects on time or even earlier.
The RE Congress 2024 was organized in cooperation with the Foundation for Sustainable Society, Inc., Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology, Oxfam Pilipinas, New Energy Nexus Philippines, Galing Pook Foundation, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, Reboot Philippines, and Allotrope Partners.
