PCCI calls for SME assistance on power cost

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is calling for greater access to affordable technology to enable industries, particularly the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to comply with the country’s commitment to substantially cut its carbon emissions.

PCCI president George Barcelon said low-cost technology is key to enabling Philippine industries, especially the SMEs which comprise majority of the sector, to do their part in achieving the country’s ambitious carbon emission reduction goal by 2030.

Barcelon has called on the government’s assistance to see how small firms could be helped financially.

He also urged advanced nations to share their climate change mitigation know-how with developing economies.

“I hope the developed countries can help us, not just by giving the monetary amount in our fight for climate change, but to really open up and share technology,” Barcelon said.

“A lot of this climate change knowledge and equipment I think can easily be built in the Philippines. I wouldn’t want us to be paying overpriced technology in order to achieve this. Hopefully, the developed countries would open their hearts and say we can share with you the technology at no cost. You can build it for your power plants, for your industry so that your emissions could be lessened,” he added.

But since all sectors of society contribute to pollution, the PCCI chief said there was a need for all sectors to work together.

“The solution will only come with the cooperation of the private sector and the government,” he said.

The Paris Agreement is a pact among 195 countries to keep global temperature increase well below two degrees Celsius by cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, mainly by minimizing the use of fossil fuels that release massive amounts of carbon dioxide pollutants into the air.