Cement maker Holcim Philippines Inc. expressed hope the government would issue a policy on the country’s net zero emission goals to help businesses move their sustainability programs forward.
The company announced a capital expenditure of about P2 billion in the next three years to enhance sustainability programs, innovation and efficiency.
“A lot of what we do today is voluntary because we do not have a framework that is legally binding and compelling everybody to get to a certain level immediately. In fairness to government, we are working on it but given the complexities of the potential economic damage, repercussions at all levels,” Holcim Philippines senior vice president and chief sustainability officer Samuel Manlosa said during the net zero media training of the Net Zero Carbon Alliance (NCZA).
“So, what we need is a policy to get everybody to the same page and that’s currently absent,” he said.
Manlosa said the Philippines’ slow adaptation to net zero doesn’t necessarily mean that companies are not honest.
“It might mean that not all companies are there yet. The ones that are ahead are ahead but there’s probably a lot more that are behind. Especially if you are a small business…Everybody needs to arrive at net zero almost together…the same businesses, suppliers, partners. Absent that, the targets will be hard to achieve,” he said.
Holcim is a member of the NCZA, a multi-sectoral movement toward attaining net zero carbon emissions among businesses. It was launched by Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC) as part of its mission to forge collaborative pathways for a decarbonized and regenerative future.
NCZA’s framework for achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is centered on taking proactive measures through collaborative partnerships aimed at emissions reduction and capture.
The group considers each company’s diversity in capacities and resources, allowing for individual pathways toward the common goal.
The first step to being a net zero carbon company is to identify and understand the organization’s climate-related impact by calculating its carbon footprint.