On May 24, over 200 leaders from the nation's top corporations gathered at The Westin Manila in Mandaluyong City for MPower’s 9th Partners' Forum. Entitled "Green Horizons: Future of Renewable Energy & Sustainable Buildings," the forum aimed to provide insights and resources for sustainable practices, fostering a positive impact on the environment and future generations.
“I am glad to see familiar faces of our partners who consistently support our programs, what was initially planned as an intimate gathering of 120 partners has grown to over 200 participants today, demonstrating that sustainability is no longer just a buzzword but a fundamental practice for balancing the environmental, economic, and social aspects.” Senior Assistant Vice President and Retail Sales Head, MPower Eddie John V. Adug, mentioned in his opening remarks.
Usec. Rowena Guevarra, Undersecretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), discussed the Philippine Renewable Energy Roadmap. She highlighted that the DOE aims to boost renewable energy in the Philippines to 35% of the generation mix by 2030 and 50% by 2040. To achieve this, the government is laying out the groundwork to ensure a smooth transition to renewable energy by easing investment regulations to attract investors, particularly for offshore wind and nuclear energy, developing a free and smart transmission system, and voluntary early decommissioning and/or repurposing of existing coal-fired plants among others.
Arch. Michaela Rosette Santos-Tayag, Philippine Green Building Initiative Director, focused on Green Buildings and Sustainable Operations. She emphasized that commercial and industrial buildings are among the main contributors to carbon emissions and climate change. However, these impacts can be mitigated through the development of sustainable green buildings. To qualify as a green building, structures must feature sustainable and climate-resilient site design, implement water conservation and energy efficiency practices, and must obtain a certification from an official body such as Leadership on Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the US Green Building Code.
Culminating the event was First Vice President and Head of MPower, Redel M. Domingo, inviting everyone to join and support the 5th Back-to-School Donation Drive under the umbrella program iMPower. He proudly shared that the program has extended aid to 26 schools across the Philippines, benefiting more than 28,000 students, including those in SPED; providing a total of Php 16 million worth of cumulative monetary and in-kind donations from all partners.
The event was moderated by Danie Laurel, multi-awarded news anchor and TV presenter.
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