Climate change is now considered the most serious and pervasive threat to humanity and nature. The calamities and extreme weather events in the recent months indicate that indeed, climate change is no longer an alien and intangible concept; it is an occurrence that hits close to home and impacts us directly.
In these volatile times, are we up to the challenge of climate change?
On Friday, March 2, WWF-Philippines conducted Green Up Your Act, a corporate sustainability workshop that convened corporations from various industries to discuss how they can adopt energy-efficient ways in their business operations.
Among the participants were representatives from Smart Communications, Honda, Coca-Cola, Amici Water Systems, Arthaland, LG Electronics, DMCI Homes, Tridharma, United Parcel Service (UPS), Ayala Land, Unilab, Sunlife Financial, Lafarge, SLMG/MCBD Marketing, BDO and MFI Foundation.
The workshop was made possible through the WWF-Philippines’ partnership with United Parcel Service (UPS) for the My1Thing campaign, which inspires people to commit to just one simple thing to contribute to large-scale efforts addressing climate change.
The workshop taught the participants the benefits of climate change adaptation and the reduction of greenhouse gases through energy efficiency, proper waste management, and sustainable transportation.
It also identified practical steps and avenues that will guarantee energy conservation and a more environmentally-conscious, sustainable lifestyle.
Some of the speakers include WWF-Philippines Climate Change & Energy Program head Angela Consuela Ibay and Dr. Crizaldo Santos, Science Research Specialist at the Department of Energy. WWF-Philippines’ Environmental Life Skills team also spearheaded some of the activities.
For their part, Earth Hour 2011 corporate sponsors Coca-Cola Philippines, Honda Cars Philippines, LG Electronics, and ArthaLand Corporation shared their companies’ programs and practices that promote sustainability and climate change adaptation.
One of the workshop’s highlights was the exercise on Carbon Footprint Calculation, which measures the ecological impact of one’s daily activities. After the activity, the participants outlined their plans of action to manage their carbon footprint and adopt greener lifestyles.
“The Carbon Footprint Calculation was an eye-opener.” This was the collective sentiment of the participants after finding out whether their ways of living are eco-friendly or carbon-intensive.
WWF-Philippines, through corporate allies like UPS, hopes to build a climate-proof future, one green act at a time.
Says Ibay, “WWF has pioneered species work and conservation science, but we are also committed to empowering business leaders in crafting climate-adaptive strategies.”
