Editor’s Desk
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It seems all we hear about these days is the Philippines’ impending carbon marketplace. On February 08, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) released a national readiness roadmap for the voluntary forest carbon market, setting the stage for how the Philippines might value, govern, and trade the carbon stored in its forest and mangrove ecosystems.
This means that seven million hectares of forest land and over 300,000 hectares of mangrove forests in the Philippines could potentially be tagged high-integrity assets.
It is a huge move, one that involves substantial financial risk. There are many different ways things could go wrong. But if done right, it would signal a true turning of the tides, one where the protection of Philippine forests and mangroves isn’t just a nice-to-have, but essential to our survival.
Yesterday, Sustina co-organized and participated in the Philippine Decarbonization Forum, alongside government representatives, business leaders, and technical experts. It is far from uncommon to see all these actors gathering in the name of sustainability. But it is rare that we have those with the power to lead, like DENR, in the same room, compelled to have a conversation about the stakes at hand.
In our lineup this week: the full transcript from the Philippine Decarbonization Forum panel, in which Sustina Executive Director, Anna Reyes, asks the important questions about additionality and greenwashing; a feature story about the captain of One Earth One Ocean Philippines, who is navigating his way through the trash in Manila Bay; and an explainer on why we are all talking about waste lately and how it cannot just be a discussion about the lesser of two evils.
— The Editors
DENR, SEC, business leaders weigh in on carbon market readiness
“Although there are established carbon standards and verification mechanisms, we need to come up with a policy where you have them on board, and this will address one of the gaps we need to address—data gaps.”
The Philippines’ intent to enter the voluntary forest carbon market has been announced. But are our forests ready? Read the full panel discussion here.
This captain knows where his trash goes. Do you?
Most ship captains navigate the stars. Daniel Scheler navigates trash, from Manila Bay’s polluted waters to its final destination.
Explainer: How will the Binaliw landfill collapse affect policies on solid waste and incineration?
The Cebu landfill collapse reignites discussions around the Solid Waste Act on its 25th anniversary.
More at a glance
On our radar: The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025 reveals the world’s biggest risks 10 years down the line are mostly environmental, coupled with news that we’re living in a time of water bankruptcy
Other stories from Sustina Earth: