Six new tools aim to fix PHL renewable energy barriers

1 of 8

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

MAKATI CITY — The Responsible Energy Initiative Philippines unveiled six prototype interventions to address barriers to scaling renewable energy in a socially just and ecologically safe manner during a multistakeholder forum on March 19 at the AIM Conference Centre.

The event gathered 120 representatives from industry, finance, civil society, and national government agencies to discuss solutions that support a rights-respecting, environmentally sound energy transition.

Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources emphasized the need for a people-centered approach to the country’s energy transition.

“A successful energy transition must recognize people’s importance while boosting productivity and reducing emissions. It is as much a social and economic challenge as an environmental one,” Rebuelta-Teh said.

“For the Philippines, a just transition is a transformative, people-centered shift to a low-carbon, climate-resilient, and energy-secure economy that prioritizes equity, inclusivity, and balance throughout the process without compromising environmental integrity,” she added.

The Philippines aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its power mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, but less-visible structural barriers have hindered progress.

The country currently generates roughly 22 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, including geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind, leaving a significant gap between present output and the government’s medium-term targets.

From 2024 to 2025, REI Philippines convened more than 50 stakeholders across sectors, including developers, rural banks, policymakers, civil society, and academia, to identify challenges and co-develop solutions.

Key barriers identified include competition for land and sea use, lack of trust with communities, capital gaps, insufficient data on biodiversity and social impacts, and limited attention to circularity in energy systems.

To address these, REI Philippines introduced six prototype interventions: RE Compass, an interactive digital tool integrating energy potential with ecological and social risk data; RE Hub, which promotes multiuse land and marine planning; community co-ownership models enabling local stakes in projects; Capital Orchestrator to coordinate financing; a Rural Bank Mentorship program integrating environmental, social, and governance risks into lending; and Circular RE Futures, which supports lifecycle governance of renewable technologies.

Rebuelta-Teh expressed support for several initiatives, particularly RE Compass, RE Hub, and Circular RE Futures, noting their alignment with the DENR’s mandate.

A keynote panel composed of Department of Energy Director Michael Sinocruz, Department of Trade and Industry Board of Investments Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, and Mindanao Development Authority Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro discussed strategies to operationalize the six workstreams nationwide.

Panelists also highlighted the importance of collaborative governance, with particular support for community co-ownership and the Circular RE Futures model.

Sumi Dhanarajan, managing director of Forum for the Future Southeast Asia, underscored the role of cross-sector collaboration in shaping sustainable energy systems.

“When creating foundational norms for how a complex system behaves, it is critical to have all the key actors involved,” Dhanarajan said.

Maris Cardenas, executive director of the Center for Empowerment, Innovation, and Training on Renewable Energy, highlighted the urgency of strengthening domestic energy systems.

“The oil supply crisis shows how vulnerable the Philippines remains to global shocks. We urgently need energy that is local, affordable, and sustainable,” Cardenas said.

“The Responsible Energy Initiative Philippines helps fill an important gap in moving that transition forward by forging partnerships and collaborative initiatives advancing responsible, resilient, equitable, and democratic renewable energy systems,” she added.

The Responsible Energy Initiative is a global program led by Forum for the Future that works with governments, businesses, and civil society to ensure renewable energy development respects human rights, protects ecosystems, and delivers equitable benefits to communities.

The Philippines is the second country to launch the initiative and the first in Southeast Asia, following its initial rollout in India in 2021.

Now in its third year, REI Philippines will focus on developing the six prototypes through the fourth quarter of 2026 before evaluating their potential for wider implementation.