The Philippines is well on its way into cementing its strategy in combating climate change risks; and one of its major approaches is in the area of renewable energy (RE) development.

This has been articulated by British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie during the Roundtable Discussion on the Economics of Climate Change, as he noted that “the Philippines is showing leadership in the region” given several developments showing the country’s commitment to addressing climate change.

The scheduled round of debates in Copenhagen this December for the new framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol is viewed as a critical milestone into instituting policy agendas toward battling the distressful impact of climate change.

The British envoy emphasized that climate change is a tribulation that the whole world must win over, if only to reserve its afflictions that are now battering humankind.

He said the “business-as-usual” frame of mind thrived counter-productive if the world has to meet target of flipping over temperature rise of 2 to 3 degrees over the next 50 years.

So far, as experts would see it, countries must strive to transform societies into low-carbon economies.

Lillie said it becomes increasingly important for every country to “seize the opportunity to adapt our economies to meet the challenges of climate change by climate-proofing future development, and shifting our development model onto low-carbon path.”

Developments in the renewable energy front are among the favored pathways to low-carbon economy; though many experts in the energy field are giving higher mark to energy efficiency and conservation as a strategy.