PLDT Group expressed support for the Philippines’ shift towards a circular economy in line with the country’s commitment to reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement.
“We believe that the circular economy will contribute not only towards addressing the ongoing triple planetary crisis on climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, but will also unlock opportunities for innovation, economic growth, and value creation across sectors,” said Melissa Vergel de Dios, PLDT and Smart chief sustainability officer.
PLDT and Smart joined the recent Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting of the House Committee on Economic Affairs on House Bill No. 8791 or “An Act to Promote a Circular Economy” and House Bill No. 9791 or “An Act Providing for A Framework for Circular Economy to Promote Sustainable Production and Consumption and National Economic Security”.
PLDT Group articulated its support as underpinned by their organizational roadmap for sustainability which includes focusing on waste management and circularity.
Following the TWG, the telcos submitted a position paper on the proposed legislations, expressing concurrence with salient provisions for the private sector, including the adoption of practices and digital innovations that minimize environmental footprint of products and services, among others.
PLDT and Smart further stressed the need for government investments in the expansion of a circular infrastructure and the establishment of incentives to support accessibility and mainstreaming of circularity solutions across sectors.
Meanwhile, together with their peers in the business sector, the telcos also participated in the Circular Economy Dialogue organized by the Makati Business Club (MBC).
The gathering sought to consolidate industry comments on proposed legislation on circular economy and low carbon economy in both houses of Congress.
PLDT and Smart talked about their ongoing practices that align with key principles of circularity, such as product stewardship, waste reduction and recycling.
Relevant efforts include the mainstreaming of their eSIM offering for Smart and TNT customers and the integration of electronic waste collection into their business activities and industry collaborations.
“We aim to continue participating in these multi-sectoral engagements and keep abreast of emerging regulations to boost our capability to adopt the best solutions and maximize collaborations on circularity and sustainability,” Vergel de Dios said.
