People of Asia for Climate Solutions (PACS) Urges Actions as Philippines Advances in Renewable Energy Investment Rankings

(January 15, 2025, Manila) People of Asia for Climate Solutions (PACS), a Manila-based climate advocacy group,   recognizes the Philippines’ recent ranking as the second most attractive emerging market for renewable energy investment in BloombergNEF’s 2024 Climatescope Report, while urging the country to further raise its renewable energy ambitions and to immediatel prioritize vocational education and training.

“As a tropical archipelago, the Philippines has some of the highest potentials to develop homegrown natural energy such as wind and solar. However, at the moment, these clean power sources have hardly been utilized. So, it is not surprising that BloombergNEF has put the country as one of the most attractive emerging markets for renewable energy investment,” said PACS Executive Director Xiaojun Wang.

“While the Philippines' renewable energy potential looks beautiful, its current reality is much darker and dirtier,” Wang added. This stark contrast is largely due to the country’s continued reliance on coal, which remains the dominant source of electricity despite the growing availability of cleaner alternatives.

As of 2023, wind and solar only accounted for 2.5% of the country’s total electricity, while coal power became the largest electricity source, growing from 59% in 2022 into last year’s 62%. The Philippines stands as the most coal dependent country in Southeast Asia, according to energy thinktank EMBER.

“As we burn more coal and contribute to the speedy worsening of climate change, the Philippines is also one of the most climate vulnerable countries, being hit by increasingly impactful extreme weather events including heat waves, droughts, and typhoons.”

PACS views the BloombergNEF recognition as an opportunity for the Philippine government to seize to transform its energy landscape. “The key is higher ambitions and actions. The Philippines has strong policies to guide renewable energy investment, but these policies must be translated into bold actions. We expect the renewable energy transition to take off and escalate in the coming years, which means we need a capable workforce to implement the transition,” said Wang.

To support this, PACS has collaborated with leading renewable energy colleges in China and launched the Future Renewable Energy Engineering Program for Filipino students, aimed at cultivating a new generation of renewable energy engineers and professionals. Currently, there are 29 Filipino students studying renewable energy engineering in China under the program. Once they graduate, they will be equipped with the expertise in solar, wind, and other clean energy solutions, as skilled workforce to support the Philippines’ efforts to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets.

“In the barangays in Nueva Ecija and Leyte where our students come from, thousands of kilometers of existing public roofs are waiting to be covered with solar panels to generate clean stable electricity for the communities who are currently relying on costly yet unstable power, and thousands of rice and onion farmers are in need of affordable electricity to support their crop processing,” said Oscar Gabriel Jr., PACS Organizational Development Director.

Looking forward, PACS recognizes the critical need to further accelerate renewable energy adoption, as the Philippines’ energy demand continues to rise with its growing economy. With the government’s target of 35% renewable energy in the national power mix by 2030, PACS continues to collaborate with partners to support the scaling of renewable energy projects.

PACS remains committed to advancing climate solutions that not only benefit the Philippines but serve as a scalable model for the broader Asia-Pacific region. As the world’s second most attractive market for renewable energy, the Philippines’ journey toward a sustainable future is just beginning, and PACS is proud to be part of this transformative movement.   

To read the full report, visit https://www.global-climatescope.org/.

For more information about PACS, visit www.greenpacs.org.cn/en/.

For inquiries, contact:

Leovy Ramirez

Communications Officer, PACS

leovyramirez@greenpacs.org.cn

+639156618382