UNESCO cites Mirant for environment advocacy

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) cited Mirant Philippines for its environmental advocacy, bannered by its massive mangrove rehabilitation program in Quezon.

"We commend Mirant for being environment-friendly and environment conscious," said Leonarda Camacho, Commissioner of UNESCO Philippines, pointing out that the company, has been doing its share in saving the environment.

Camacho, a staunch environmentalist, is conducting a nationwide environmental audit of the Philippines on behalf of UNESCO, collating and processing data from all of the country’s 79 provinces. "Mirant is one of the redeeming factors of our environment audit," she said.

Among the activities in line with the audit being conducted by UNESCO in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was a visit to Mirant’s power generating facility in Pagbilao, Quezon as well as its massive mangrove rehabilitation project that spans Pagbilao and neighboring Padre Burgos.

"We had occasion to fly over Pagbilao and we were delighted to see its Carbon Sink, a vast expanse of mangroves and forest trees," says Camacho.

A total of 150 hectares of both upland and mangrove forests are being rehabilitated by Mirant in partnership with the DENR under its Carbon Sink project that also aims to provide additional livelihood to locals and promote an eco-destination site to draw tourists.

Both of Mirant’s top generating facilities in Pagbilao, Quezon and Sual, Pangasinan are ISO 14001 certified, a tribute to their world-class environmental management systems. Its generating facility in Toledo, Cebu, also recently received an ISO 14001 certification.

Mirant Philippines’ corporate philosophy gives equal emphasis on environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility as it does achieving its business objectives.