In support of initiatives on climate change adaptation and mitigation, the Aboitiz Group showcased its best practices and the role that the private sector plays in putting a spotlight to the said issue at the recently-concluded Climate Change Consciousness Week organized by the Climate Change Commission (CCC). 

With the theme “Klima ng Kinabukasan, Ating Pangalagaan,” the event marked the 14th Annual Global warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, bringing together national and local government, academe, business, non-profits, civil society, and the youth to accelerate progress on the shared challenges of climate change.

The Aboitiz Group has been one of CCC’s long time partners for sustainable development in critical sectors where it operates such as energy, banking, food, real estate, infrastructure, and construction.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) Chief External Affairs Officer David Jude Sta. Ana emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in raising awareness about climate change and the solutions to address it. “As a policy-making body that coordinates, monitors, and evaluates climate change initiatives, CCC plays a critical  role… your support will continue to be essential to the success of these ambitious efforts ,” he said.

CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Emmanuel M. De Guzman said the commission has forged partnerships and collaborated with the private sector to implement climate smart initiatives in all sectors.

“There’s so much that we can do for the well-being of our nation today and tomorrow. Let us unite on this noble cause to secure a resilient and sustainable future for all Filipinos,” he said.

Aboitiz Group Best Practices

The Aboitiz Group, a 30,000 plus strong organization that is moving towards a shared vision of creating value for all its stakeholders has been cited as one of the best managed companies in the Philippines with its consistent adherence to good corporate governance and citizenship.

Each of the Group’s Strategic Business Units (SBU) are fully committed to this shared vision as they fuse sustainability into the very core of their business operations. AboitizPower, apart from being one of the power firms with the largest capacity of renewable energy in the country, also uses battery electric storage systems (BESS) in select power plants as supporting intermittent renewable energy in the nation’s power grid. 

In the water industry, Apo Agua, one of the Business Units under Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., is leading the way towards the use of more sustainable surface water sources in Davao City, as opposed to the current ground well sources, through the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, which when completed will provide water to millions of Davaoenos.

Food unit Pilmico started its Rice Husk Project back in 2018, where biomass boilers were used to turn the rice husk waste into alternative bunker fuel, cutting dependence on traditional bunker fuel by more than 60%.

Similarly, Republic Cement has their own Ecoloop programme, which advocates for a circular economy by turning qualifying wastes and byproducts into input materials such as alternative fuel and alternative raw materials for cement manufacturing operations.

Union Bank of the Philippines and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., on the other hand, focus on sustainability of the human kind. UnionBank has geared sustainability efforts towards “people sustainability” and social sustainability.

One clear example is their UBP Xcellerator Program that takes young Filipinos to train them into becoming part of the nation’s homegrown talent pool. 

For the Aboitiz Foundation, part of their commitment to co-creating resilient, empowered, and sustainable communities in the face of climate change is supported by the capacity-building programs they implement in partner communities and with local governments nationwide.

Through the Foundation’s participation in the Adopt-A-Municipality program, for example, it hopes to support the local government units of Tiwi, Albay and Iligan City in order to achieve human, economic, infrastructure, and environmental resilience through a robust public-private sector participation.

The Group has showcased credible, transparent, and strong performance in sustainability management, delivering commitment to the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals and aligning with the ten principles of the UN as a member of the UN Global Compact and board of trustees of the Global Compact Network Philippines. 

Aboitiz Group CEO Sabin Aboitiz is a member of the APEC Advisory Council (ABAC) representing the Philippines. This gives the organization an opportunity to lead and participate in regional discussions on policy recommendations that affect climate leadership, food security, and digital transformation. 

AEV Reputation Management Vice President Ginggay Hontiveros said Aboitiz defines sustainable development as inclusive growth that carefully looks into the dimension of Environmental Social and Governance (ESG). 

“We are very much committed to a mindset that views sustainability not as a cost of doing business but as a way of doing good business. Sustainability is very much an integral part of our business strategy and our culture,” she noted.

Environmental Protection

Hontiveros pointed out that the Group recognizes this immense responsibility of protecting and giving back to the environment. “We are very much conscious of resources and ensure that these can be replenished for future generations. Our goal is to continuously minimize the impact of our business to the environment by reducing emissions, having proper materials and waste management systems, and increasing renewable energy capacities,” she stressed.

The Aboitiz Group is also the first Philippine-based company to support and align with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The Group supports the National  Greening Program through its Simultaneous Tree Planting initiative or A-Park with more than 11 million trees planted to date. It has embarked on various environmental programs including ‘Race to Reduce’ program and Weather Philippines as well as committed to advocacies such as Climate Resilient Philippines, The Water Alliance, and Climate Investment Network.

Learn more about the Aboitiz Group’s sustainability efforts: https://sustainability. aboitiz.com/. (PR)