The Philippines said it remains committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 during a meeting with a Japanese delegation promoting decarbonization efforts.
The Department of Energy (DOE) said the country would work closely with Japan to contribute to decarbonization in Asia. This collaboration will involve policy harmonization and support, along with other member countries of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC).
AZEC is a platform for Asian nations to promote decarbonization. It leverages Japan’s resources and experience by providing support in finance, technology, human resources, and policy coordination with partner countries.
The DOE said in a statement a Japanese mission led by Cabinet special advisor Maeda Tadashi, along with officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and Japanese private sector executives, met with Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla on April 1.
Both countries acknowledged the importance of the AZEC Japan-Philippines High-Level Coordination Dialogue. This framework facilitates discussions between Japanese public and private sectors, and the Philippine government, led by the Department of Energy. The dialogue aims to address challenges and develop solutions to advance decarbonization efforts. This will be achieved by creating specific projects and encouraging all parties with appropriate assistance.
The DOE said these solutions include utilizing liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transitional fuel, developing renewable energy sources, building resilient energy infrastructure, and introducing technologies that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The Philippines is the third partner country, after Vietnam and Indonesia, to establish a framework for local discussions under the AZEC initiative. This framework allows Japanese public and private sectors, including companies, to hold discussions with the Philippine local government.
The DOE said projects will be developed through the AZEC Japan-Philippines Project Development Platform. This platform seeks collaborative projects based on memorandums of understanding (MOUs) signed between JBIC and Philippine private companies like Aboitiz Power Corp., Metro Pacific Investment Corp., and San Miguel Corp. last October.
The MOUs aim to promote collaborative projects between AboitizPower, MPIC, San Miguel, and Japanese companies in the Philippines. This will be achieved by strengthening cooperation in building resilient infrastructure and achieving decarbonization to realize net-zero emissions for the group by 2050.