The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Climate Change Commission and the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) is set to host on June 14-15, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall, a multi-stakeholder forum on climate change and cleaner transport to mark the 12th year of implementation of the Philippine Clean Air Act.
DENR Secretary Ramon Paje reiterated the importance of having to combat air pollution, particularly from mobile sources, to drive forward the implementation of Clean Air Act in the country.
“The law has been in place for twelve years now, and much as we have been able to achieve a lot, especially in terms of the reduction of total suspended particulates (TSP) level, or the introduction of alternative fuels in the country, we still have a lot to do. Mobile source, in fact, remains the top most source of air pollution in the country,” he said.
The forum is the third of the series of Clean Air 10 Forum that are being held annually since 2009 where government agencies, local government, business and the civil society merge to exchange insights to move forward, Clean Air Act implementation.
As one of the DENR’s active partners in implementing the Clean Air Act, the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) stressed the need to strengthen partnerships and coordinated action toward cleaner air.
“Despite significant advances since the implementation of RA 8749, the challenges we face remain formidable and will test our resolve. We need to forge more alliances not just between classes and among sectors but reaching across generations, because the struggle for clean air should represent in the end the confluence of diverse efforts that many Filipinos today are involved in,” says Vicky Segovia, PCA Executive Director.
The two-day forum, dubbed “Clean Air 10+2”, will highlight the need to strengthen partnerships toward clean air and climate change action, with focus on energy and transport. To be highlighted are the initiatives of the local government units, the industries, and the private sector on clean air and climate change, particularly on the use of LPG as an alternative fuel for vehicles, electric, hybrid, and non-motorized vehicles, and clean fleet management.
Forum participants will also be able to hear the government’s response on the mainstreaming of environmentally sustainable transport strategy including the volume traffic reduction scheme, the anti-smoke belching campaign, and the Mega-Manila Transport Study.
The Clean Air 10+2 Forum is organized by the DENR, the DOTC, the Climate Change Commission and PCA, with the support of Petroleum Institute of the Philippines, Ayala Foundation, and Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc. with other civil society members. The PARTNERSHIP FOR CLEAN AIR (PCA)
