Subic Bay Freeport—Stepping up to the challenges of climate change, 270 tourism and environmental stakeholder-participants in the Central Luzon Sustainable Tourism Summit 2024 declared their commitment to make carbon neutrality a way of life.
The “Race to Carbon Neutrality” was launched on Wednesday, September 11, to kick-off the countdown to 2040 spearheaded by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), as it pushes to become the first carbon neutral economic zone in the country. This is a game changer for the country’s climate action and carbon reduction targets.
SBMA OIC-Senior Deputy Administrator for Regulatory and Ecology Department manager Amethya Dela Llana-Koval spearheaded the launch on behalf of Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño who was then attending the budget hearing at the Senate.
“This is a momentous occasion for us because we are launching today, September 11, 2024, a carbon neutral future for the SBMA or our Race to Carbon Neutrality,” Dela Llana-Koval read.
She added that this is a pivotal moment in the SBMA’s journey toward a carbon-neutral future to counter the effects of climate change; but the bigger challenge for the agency is being an economic zone where locators are large consumers of electricity and other forms of energy that contribute high concentrations of carbon footprint, or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
However, this challenge also makes this economic zone “a good place to pioneer and pilot many GHG emission reduction efforts because geographically, we are blessed with the abundance of carbon stocks,” Dela Llana-Koval said.
She further explained that the SBFZ has 60 has. of mangrove area, with potential to sequester 2,016 MT carbon emissions annually, and a watershed forest reserve of 10,000 has. which neutralizes 400,000 tons of potential carbon emissions.
The Race to Carbon Neutrality aims to reduce these carbon emissions in the SBFZ by 30 percent by 2030, and eventually to net zero by 2040. In effect, it will boost its competitiveness through resource efficiency, improve its brand image by positioning the SBFZ in the global market, and attract more green foreign direct investments.
This will also bring the SBMA at the forefront of introducing carbon neutral development strategies into the economic, industrial, and trade policies of our country.
With this year’s theme “Towards a Carbon Neutral Future: Central Luzon’s Commitment to Sustainable Tourism,” guest speakers offered their expertise on carbon neutrality and sustainable tourism practices, as well as technology’s role in carbon neutrality.
As the SBMA pushes for a Carbon Neutral freeport in 2040 as its ultimate goal, Dela Llana-Koval disclosed that the SBMA will engage in the following steps: (1) adapt a carbon neutral framework; (2) emissions reduction planning; (3) prioritizing energy efficiency; (4) utilization of electric vehicles within the SBMA for carbon reduction targets; (5) utilizing emerging technologies; (6) leveraging renewable (energy); (7) smart waste management; (8) engaging stakeholders; (9) mangrove rehabilitation and restoration program; (10) forest conservation program; (11) bamboo forest development for increased oxygen production, higher carbon absorption and tourist attraction; and (12) finding financing.
The two-day summit offered ecotours of various nearby tourist destinations that practice sustainable tourism and environmental efforts, namely, birdwatching tour, Pinatubo Brewery, SBMA Ecology mangrove nursery, El Kabayo waterfalls, Pamulaklakin Aeta forest trail, Pacific Ace Subic Bay Corp., Adventure Cove, Alon and Araw Club, and the Dela Llana Farm.
