BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) strongly supports and advocates decarbonizing economy by replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources of power such as hydro, geothermal, wind, solar, and bio energy in running the economic activities and by planting more trees that can absorb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG).
In a press statement during the World Environment Day Media Conference held at DENR-13 Regional Learning Center, DENR Caraga regional director Nonito M. Tamayo said that every locality must adopt a decarbonized economy in order to have sustainable economy without degrading the environment.
“World leaders from 196 nations will gather in Paris on December 2015 to primarily discuss the Earth Statement on Eight Essential Elements of Climate Action, which could be an environmental blue print for new Millennium Development Goals or MDG. Some of these essential elements include recognition of the government commitment to limit to below two degrees Celsius heat and the assistance to poor countries through overseas development assistance (ODA) for decarbonized economy,” Tamayo revealed.
Tamayo said that new strategies and sources of climate finance for developing countries are needed to facilitate hasty conversion to zero-carbon and climate-resilient societies.
Reflecting from the Earth Statement, Tamayo said the global carbon which anthropogenic (human) activity can still produce in the future must be controlled to below 1000 giga tons (Gt) of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to get chance to hold the 2°C limit.
“Humankind has already emitted around 2000 Gt CO2 since the beginning of industrialization. Respecting the global carbon budget means leaving at least three quarters of all known fossil fuel reserves in the ground. With current emissions trends, the remaining 1000 Gt CO2 would be used up within the next 25 years,” Earth Statement says.
According to scientist projection, decarbonizing economy will not only save the planet from dangerous level of global warming and climate change but it can help save 71 trillion US dollars by 2050.
With the 2015 world environment day theme “Seven billion dreams. One planet. Consume with care,” Tamayo said the urgent need to decarbonize the economy as a very crucial decision to help save our environment and natural resource with love and action to mitigate and successfully address global warming and climate change.
“We are reminded once again that as people living in this planet earth, we have decisions but whatever it maybe, our choices shape the world around us. Whatever our decisions maybe as consumers, multiplied by millions, it has a big impact on our environment – some of them contribute to the further depletion of natural resources, others help to protect the delicate and fragile ecosystem. The choice is ours – every time we make decisions,” Tamayo said.
Decarbonized economy, which is also known as low-carbon economy (LCE) or low-fossil-fuel economy (LFFE) is an economy operated by utilizing low carbon power sources that has minimal to zero output of GHS emission into the environment biosphere. A decarbonized economy that is globally applied is expected to avoid catastrophic climate change in the Earth as a result of zero-carbon-running-economy and therefore, it reasonably help preserve every single life living with sustainable development on Earth.
DENR calls support for decarbonized economy
