Mandaue low carbon plans to get tech aid from APEC

CEBU, Philippines - The Energy Working Group (EWG) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation has identified Mandaue City as one of potential cities in the region to get technical assistance in helping it find ways to implement its low carbon plans.

The Department of Energy (DoE) said the Low Carbon Model Town (LCMT) project of the APEC-EWG has aimed to urge local communities in the region to adopt city planning initiatives promoting low carbon technologies to ease the rapidly rising energy consumption and lessen the adverse effects of greenhouse gases on the environment.

"We are constantly looking for potential LCMT candidates and it impresses me to find Mandaue City with such a comprehensive plan involving land use, green building and transportation," DoE Undersecretary Loreta Ayson said in a statement released yesterday.

The Energy department said the Mandaue City government is targeting to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and has been creating measures to establish a sustainable city to solve air pollution and traffic woes.

"Its proposed project consists of developing green growth areas and interconnecting these areas within Metro Cebu. An ordinance is also proposed promoting disaster-resilient buildings in the city," DoE said.

Mandaue, known as the "furniture capital of the Philippines," is located on the central-eastern coastal of Cebu and is one of the three highly urbanized cities in the province.

During the APEC's 12th Energy Ministers' Meeting (EMM12) happening in Cebu next month, it will be announced which of the three LCMT nominees (Krasnoyarsk City, Russia; Subang Jaya, Malaysia; and Mandaue City, Philippines) will be entitled to receive technical assistance which will involve a feasibility study to help them find ways to implement their low carbon plans.

The DoE said previous LCMT winners were Da Nang in Vietnam which implemented an innovative system of electric motorbikes and charging facilities; and Samui Island in Thailand which got support for its feasibility study to use solar, wind and small hydro power, for the use of electric cars and reforestation of existing forests.

The EMM12, led by the DoE, is taking place in Mactan Island, Cebu on October 12-14 to discuss climate change, energy security  and energy trade and investment within the APEC region.

Among APEC member economies include the Philippines, China, Canada, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, United States, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, New Zealand, Peru and Malaysia. (FREEMAN)