‘Solving TRAFFIC is Unlike prescribing to an OBESE to BUY Bigger TROUSERS’
The onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic showed the systemic weaknesses of the country in handling its biggest crisis since World War II. Moreover, the health crisis has emphasized the urgent need to pursue a green agenda in the new normal so the people can experience a better quality of life.
Amid this situation, Renato Redentor Constantino, executive director of Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), told the Businessmirror in an e-mail interview that the government did the right thing in implementing measures to prevent the spread of the virus which was complemented by Congress’ marshalling the efforts and resources of the country to respond decisively to the impact of the novel coronavirus.
Being a country vulnerable to natural disasters, Constantino pointed out that government must implement what he calls a forward-looking spending program to future-proof the country’s capabilities in the short term and long term to handle future calamities.
Moreover, he urged the government to pursue collaborative mechanisms among vulnerable countries to combat climate change.
“We cannot and should not face multiple crises on our own, when the region should be acting together as well,” Constantino said.
“Just as important, core spending to address the pandemic fallout can very well be the same resilience spending that is required to adapt to climate change,” he said.
This, he added, can only move the country closer to securing what it must continue to chase, “the country’s early attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Renewable energy
Constantino said developing environmentalfriendly fuels, such as geothermal energy must be pushed further.
Although daily global fossil carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 17 percent in early April 2020 compared with 2019,“there is still a lot to be done.”
“Although individual actions, such as work from home and reducing car and plane travel have contributed in the decline of CO2 emissions, individual actions are not sufficient,” he explained.
“Individual actions are absolutely vital. But they are also insufficient. Collective action is essential, and we also need to understand how deeply embedded fossil capital is in the global economy. extricating its deep roots is very much possible but it will take concerted efforts and effective strategies,” Constantino pointed out.
Corporate response
On the corporate front, he sees good indicators on how corporations are pursuing their own green energy programs.
he said the Aboitiz Group has seen the writing on the wall. however, the challenge for the group is how fast it can lock-in a new forward-looking trajectory.
According to finance analyst Sara Ahmed, Aboitiz equity Ventures (AEV) “is the first and only company in the Philippines to register as a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Disclosures in line with its commitment to environmental, social and governance.”
Ahmed said Aboitiz“aims to better improve the reliability of data they share with stakeholders, and rightly so, because undisclosed risk will remain a mismanaged risk.”
She added: “This is good, but there’s a long way to go to demonstrate the company is seriously aiming for the long term.”
Aboitiz Power’s renewable-energy portfolio includes solar, geothermal, run-of-river hydro and large hydroelectric plants
Meanwhile, the move by Ayala energy to stop developing coal plants starting 2030 is most welcome, according to Constantino.
he said the conglomerate has proven they are looking into the long term by pursuing a green agenda in energy development program.
At the same time, Constantino lauded the efforts of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) in its green energy development road map.
SMC plans to launch at least 800 megawatts of renewable energy this year as part of the conglomerate’s objective of opening around 1,200 MW of clean-energy power plants in the next few years.
Furthermore, the company points to a prospective pipeline of 10,000MW of renewableenergy investments over the next 10 years.
It is also raising $500 million in investment to carve out its role in battery-storage technology.
“Again, this is welcome. But it comes across as fragmented, tentative and lacking in long-term vision. Way more needs to be done to ensure their own shareholders truly gain from the promise of an early, accelerated and comprehensive energy transition,” Constantino pointed out.
he added that the moves of Aboitiz and SMC “appear timid and they need to be more decisive, otherwise, as coal assets strand, their stakeholders might be left holding the garbage bag as coal turns into the new sub-prime.”
Food security
WITH visionary leadership, Constantino said Filipino farmers can rise to the challenge.
“The pandemic has shown how ready our farmers remain in terms of producing what our people need,” he said.
he pointed out the country’s decrepit supply chains—from medical services and supplies to food supply that is so disconnected to the great and growing nutrition needs of the poor and the middle class were among the major reasons a lot of Filipinos faced horrific experiences in buying basic food and medical needs especially during the enhanced community quarantine period.
Constantino also urged the government to take a proactive and long-term approach in handling the water and the food security issues.
“We are in what we might even consider a pretty serious practice run, because our very own scientific community has been telling us for a while that we’re in for a very rough ride,” he said.
he explained: “The central parts of Mindanao are projected to experience declines in water over the next two decades that go far beyond climate extremes in historical observations.these are places where conflicts are growing as extremism takes root and where poverty runs deep. In many places, the challenge is not about productivity in terms of agricultural exports but about food security itself.” Democratizing mobility
In terms of people’s mobility, Constantino said government needs to look at transportation as a fully defined expression of democracy.
he lamented the fact that around 88 percent of the households in Metro Manila who do not own cars have to daily squeeze into and fight over 20 percent of the metropolitan commons in the form of roads and highways, while the minority 12 percent who own cars hog 80 percent of the streets.
“This needs to change. Government needs to drop its pursuit of traffic management and instead focus on transport. Move people, not cars,” he pointed out.
The recent 122nd celebration of the country’s independence would be a good starting point to liberate the 88 percent of the population from their daily commuting agony, according to Constantino.
“We need to free our long toiling people from needless suffering and exhaustion created by ignorance and outdated thinking still too prevalent among our urban planning officials, “he said.
In one of its studies, the Japan International Cooperation Agency warned of the colossal impact of the traffic in Metro Manila.
The Japanese agency pointed out the country will lose P5.4 billion to traffic daily by 2035 if no measures are implemented in Metro Manila.
earlier, it estimated that the Philippines loses P3.5 billion daily due to traffic congestion. Bicycle lanes
CONSTANTINO said the champions of sustainable transport system in the Department of Public Works and highways, and in the Department of Transportation must be supported because they understand the kind of solutions the country needs today and the opportunity that the pandemic provides.
“We need to amplify their voices, enable the acts of solidarity of cyclist groups who are reaching out and assisting frontliners and first-time bicyclists,” he urged.
The recent study by ICSC with MNL Moves and the enschede, the netherlands-based University of Twente showed great demand for interconnected, protected bicycle lanes not just in Metro Manila but, even more importantly, in newly urbanizing areas in the country.
They have the option to avoid repeating the horrendous mistakes of Metro Manila, which“literally cemented inefficient, polluting, undemocratic, car-centric development into our urban areas.”
Constantino urged government planners not to be fixated on the traffic issue alone which, he said, is just a mere symptom.
“The fixation is behind the persistently mistaken moves by government to build more flyovers and embark on more road widening to please private car owners. This is just downright crazy. It is like a doctor prescribing to an obese patient to buy bigger trousers and a longer belt,” he said.