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131
THE PHILIPPINES
Peter Köppinger
This kind of extreme weather would have fatal consequences for the economy of this developing country,
In November 2013, Typhoon Yolanda, known interna-
especially considering that is still characterized by a
tionally as Typhoon Haiyan, swept across the island
large agriculture sector. The country is also not in a
state of the Philippines at speeds of more than 300
good position to stem the costs of adapting to such an
km / h, leaving a trail of destruction. Haiyan was the
extreme climate. It is already experiencing difficulties
strongest storm at landfall ever recorded. According
in responding adequately to natural disasters and
to the United Nations Office for the Coordination
setting up measures to mitigate their impact.
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the storm claimed
the lives of around 6,000 people and left 4.1 million
Yet knowledge about climate change is still extre-
homeless.1 Around 2,000 others are still officially
mely limited among the people of the Philippines. In
missing. Reinsurance company Munich RE assesses
a survey by Filipino public opinion polling body Social
the damage at US$10 billion – five percent of the
Weather Stations, more than half of respondents had
country’s gross domestic product.2 Experts disagree
very little or no knowledge about climate change, alt-
over the degree to which climate change is respon-
hough 85 percent had already felt its impact.5
sible for Haiyan, but the fact that the Philippines are
extremely vulnerable to extreme weather is undis-
Despite this, climate change is considered one of the
puted. Germanwatch’s Long-Term Climate Watch
most important driving forces behind the country’s
Index ranks the Philippines seventh in its list of the
national energy policy, alongside energy security,
countries most affected by extreme weather events
integration in the global energy markets and provi-
from 1993 to 2012. In 2012 alone, the Philippines
ding energy at prices people can afford.6 Currently,
ranked second – after Haiti,3 which suffered dramati-
fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas are the
cally from Typhoon Bopha.
major source of energy in the Philippines. In 2010,
they supplied around 60 percent of the country’s
A study published by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geo­
energy – although 70 percent of them were imported,
physical and Astronomical Services Administration
primarily from the Middle East.7 But almost all of the
(PAGASA) in 2011 addressed the impact of climate
remaining energy (around 40 percent) came from
change on the Philippines. It confirmed the generally
renewable sources and did not have to be imported.
held belief that greenhouse gas emissions caused
This puts the Philippines at the forefront in interna-
by human activity contribute to climate change and
tional comparison, as the country’s Department of
established that average temperatures had already
Energy reports. The European Union, for instance,
risen considerably and that typhoon intensity had
only obtains 10 percent of its energy from renewable
increased. For the future, PAGASA expects more days
sources.8 The geography of the Philippines puts it in
with extreme heat during the dry season and more
an excellent position to exploit alternative sources of
days with extreme precipitation during the monsoon
energy. Its geothermal capacity is remarkable, thanks
season – leading to worse droughts and flooding.4
to its location on the Pacific’s Ring of Fire. Geothermal
energy covered 21 percent of the country’s energy
needs in 2010.9 Hydropower also plays an important
1 | Cf. UN-OCHA, “Philippines: Typhoon Haiyan”, Report
No. 29, 3 January 2014, http://reliefweb.int/sites/
reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHAPhilippinesTyphoon
HaiyanNo29_02January2014.pdf [31 July 2014].
2 | Munich RE, “Overall picture of natural catastrophes in
2013 dominated by weather extremes in Europe and
Supertyphoon Haiyan”, press release, 7 January 2014,
http://bit.ly/1g2IUq6 [31 July 2014].
3 | Sönke Kreft and David Eckstein, Global Climate Risk
Index 2014. Who Suffers Most from Extreme Weather
Events? Weather-Related Loss Events in 2012 and 1993
to 2012, Germanwatch, 11 / 2013, http://germanwatch.
org/en/download/8551.pdf [28 July 2014].
4 | Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration (PAGASA), “Climate Change and
the Philippines”, 02 / 2011, http://dilg.gov.ph/PDF_File/
reports_resources/DILG-Resources-20121302ef223f591.
pdf [31 July 2014].
role, providing 21 percent of the country’s generation
5 | Social Weather Stations, “First Quarter 2013 Social
Weather Survey: 85 % of Filipino adults personally experienced the impacts of climate change”, 25 June 2013,
http://www.sws.org.ph/pr20130625.htm [28 July 2014].
6 | A. La Viña, J. Dulce, N. Saño, “National and Global Energy
Governance: Issues, Linkages and Challenges in the
Philippines”, Global Policy. Global Energy Governance,
Vol. 2, pp. 80 – 93, 11 / 2011.
7 | Republic of the Philippines, Department of Energy,
­“National Renewable Energy Program”, 2012,
https://www.doe.gov.ph/microsites/nrep [31 July 2014].
8 | Ibid.
9 | Ibid.
132
Motivated by the shift in climate policy, its dependency
on imports from the Middle East and uncertainty on
the global energy market, the Filipino government has
initiated a series of reforms and action plans to make
the energy supply of the future more sustainable
and kinder to the environment. In 2008 it passed the
Renewable Energy Act to promote and expedite the
development and utilisation of renewable energies.
Three years later there followed the National Renewable Energy Plan, one of the world’s most ambitious
restructuring plans for a national energy supply. The
plan foresees a gradual increase in the proportion of
renewable energies in the energy mix, with more than
double the 2010 share by 2020, and treble by 2030.
These wind turbines on the beach in Bangui, in the north of
the island Luzon, were part of southeast Asia’s first wind farm
when they were inaugurated in 2005.
Yet, the Philippines is experiencing typical, countryspecific obstacles to implementation of these goals.
The island state is well known for its excessive
bureaucracy and rampant corruption. For instance,
capacity.10 There is, however, very little use of bio-
the director of the Department of Energy, Mario
mass, solar energy or wind power.
Marasigan, says that as many as 132 signatures
are needed for a contract on setting up a renewable
As it is not a party to Annex I of the UNFCCC, the
energies production facility.13 It is also unclear which
Philippines has no obligation to reduce its greenhouse
authorities are responsible for what, making it difficult
gas emissions. The island state accounted for just
to act efficiently and thus to attract investors. In order
0.31 percent of global emissions in 2013.
to solve these problems, the Philippines is looking to
11
Despite
this, its government committed to tackling climate
German expertise and is working closely with GIZ.
change in its 2009 Climate Change Act, and the Nati-
Taking the German Renewable Energy Act as a model,
onal Climate Change Action Plan of 2011 declares a
the Philippines hopes to introduce an electricity feed-
sustainable energy supply one of the cornerstones of
in tariff and ensure improved efficiency and lower
its climate policy.
costs for consumers.
Filipino energy prices are among the highest in sou-
As far as international climate policy is concerned,
theast Asia and nowhere in Asia are they higher than
the United Nations plays a central role for the Philip-
in the capital city Manila.12 GIZ estimates that fossil
pines. It is one of the most important organisations
fuels are more expensive for the Philippines than
promoting climate research and reform efforts in the
renewable energies, if one takes into account their
country. For instance, when developing its climate
external costs such as those related to health and
scenarios for the Philippines – an endeavour financed
environmental impacts. Each year, the Filipino eco-
by the UN – PAGASA used methods that were also
nomy loses US$1.5 billion as a result of air pollution,
employed in the UN’s IPCC climate research.14 The
while US$400 million is spent on treating its nega-
UN is also the Philippines’ most effective mouthpiece
tive health effects. GIZ believes that there are other
in international debates on climate change. Following
strong arguments in favour of fostering renewable
Typhoon Haiyan, all eyes were on the Filipino delega-
energies in the Philippines. These include their lower
tion at the UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw,
marginal costs, which would reduce the price of elec-
which took place just a week after the disaster. At
tricity, and their potential as a driver for employment
the event, the Philippines’ lead climate negotiator,
and investment.
Naderev “Yeb” Saño, grabbed global headlines when
he delivered an emotional speech appealing to the
10 | Ibid.
11 | Senate of the Philippines, “GHG Emissions At A Glance”,
03 / 2013, http://senate.gov.ph/publications/AAG%20
2013-03%20GHG%20emission.pdf [31 July 2014].
12 | GIZ, “Renewable energy in the Philippines: Costly or
competitive?”, GIZ Desk Study, 2013, http://academia.
edu/4859391/Renewable_energy_in_the_Philippines_
Costly_or_competitive [31 July 2014].
13 | C-CRED, “Intensifying the Renewables. Philippine –
­German Policy Dialogue on Renewable Energy”,
21 February 2012, http://c-cred.org/recentnews.html
[31 July 2014].
14 | N. 4.
133
global community to act quickly, and announced his
decision to go on a fast out of solidarity with the
victims of the typhoon. But the muted success of the
summit in Warsaw demonstrates the ultimately insignificant role of this developing country within international climate policy. Yet some negotiators – including
the UN15 and the EU16 – see the Philippines as a potential trailblazer for global climate policy and are calling
upon the country to take on a leadership role.
So, although the people of the Philippines are in
need of education about climate change, this island
nation is poised on the cusp of a future with green
energy. The country is already a regional leader, and
the government’s reform efforts are promising. The
potential for renewable energy is tremendous – but so
is the need. Ever more catastrophic natural disasters
are costing the country billions every year, while its
rapidly growing economy is demanding more and
more energy. Ultimately, it is the poor people who
suffer most from the highest energy prices in Asia.
Renewable energies could be the solution to this
problem. The first steps have been taken; we can only
hope that these efforts do not get bogged down in a
mire of corruption and bureaucracy.
15 | “Philippine role in climate change control stressed”,
Business World Online, http://bit.ly/1pto0Ib
[31 July 2014].
16 | Cris Larano, “Philippines Urged to Take Leadership Role
on Climate Change”, Wall Street Journal Southeast Asia,
08 September 2013, http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/
2013/09/08/philippines-urged-to-take-leadershiprole-on-climate-change [31 July 2014].