Multinational food and drink conglomerate Nestle is batting for decarbonization strategy in the Philippines that shall be stimulated by more massive scale shift to renewable energy installations, especially for its Mindanao operation.

One of the major factories of Nestle Philippines is located in Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao where the company is looking at shifting the energy use for this facility to RE.

And since Mindanao grid is where ‘king coal’ apparently reigns in its energy mix, the multinational company has been adding its voice to the intensifying campaign for a rebalancing of power generation development in the area.

According to Jose “Joey” Uy III, senior vice president and head of corporate affairs of Nestle Philippines, their company is joining the growing bandwagon of ‘woke corporates’ that have been reinforcing action on the global goal of abating the disastrous impact of climate change risks.

He said “a crucial mission in reducing the world’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is to decarbonize the power sector by shifting to renewable electricity.”

Uy added that for Nestle as a a food and beverage company, “we protect nature because we depend on its gifts. This is why tackling climate change is a top priority for us with our net zero roadmap focusing on sourcing responsibly, shaping a waste-free future, and transforming our operations.”

The company somehow lamented what current Department of Energy (DOE) data have been showing that 78.8 percent still account for fossil fuels’ fraction in the power mix, dwarfing the renewables with only 21.2 percent share.

Nestle intimated that “a robust renewable energy (RE) sector can contribute significantly to mitigating climate change, achieving energy security, and attaining inclusive and sustainable energy growth in the Philippines.”

Across power grids, the company highlighted that “Mindanao continues to be largely dependent on coal-fired power plants for electricity despite an abundance of resources and substantial market demand for RE.”

As emphasized, there had been “substantial challenges’ when it comes to RE installations in Mindanao, not just because of the island’s power supply surplus, but also the incapacity of power utilities to underwrite off-take agreements for RE-generated capacities.

“Making RE more accessible in Mindanao will benefit businesses and help attain the national RE power generation mix target of 35 percent by 2030,” the company stressed.

Uy, in particular, stated that “business-wise, switching to renewables is advantageous because it saves on electricity costs, strengthens stakeholder relations, and enhances corporate sustainability.”

He vouched “we, as companies, can reduce our GHG emissions by scaling up our clean energy competitiveness and innovations for a more sustainable environment. In doing so, we will help to harness the potential of renewable energy and contribute to the growth of the energy sector. It is a win-win proposition both for businesses and the planet.”

The Nestle executive further opined “there is great potential for renewable energy in Mindanao, offering timely opportunities for the energy industry,” thus, he cited “the need for continuous collaboration between government and industry in overcoming the challenges of shifting to RE.”