Talk Tilte: Low-carbon energy transition pathways for the Philippines
Abstract:
Energy is the lifeblood of economic development and a critical driver of competitiveness, social equity, and quality of life. For the Philippines, an archipelagic nation of more than 7,600 islands, ensuring reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy remains both a development imperative and a climate challenge. Rapid population growth, rising electricity demand, heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels, and the continued reliance of small and isolated grids on diesel generation highlight structural vulnerabilities in the current energy system. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the Philippine energy sector, examining its supply–demand dynamics, infrastructure structure, sectoral consumption patterns, and greenhouse gas emissions profile. It situates the country’s transition within the framework of sustainable energy defined by availability, accessibility, and acceptability, and emphasizes the central role of energy governance such as policy formulation, regulation, planning, market design, and stakeholder engagement, in achieving a low-carbon future. The paper also presents renewable energy expansion, decentralized and hybrid systems for remote islands, energy efficiency and conservation, and digital transformation through smart grids and prosumer participation. Drawing on national roadmaps and long-term outlooks, the talk outlines pathways toward a green growth economy that balances energy security, environmental sustainability, and inclusive development, positioning the Philippines within the broader global energy transition.
Biographical Sketch
Professor Alvin B. Culaba, Ph.D. is the Vice President of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Republic of the Philippines and the Commissioner on Science & Technology, UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines. He had served as Philippine Energy Adviser (2007-2010) and as independent board member of the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (2014-2016). As an expert panel member of the Philippine Joint Congressional Commission on Science, Technology, and Engineering (COMSTE) he assessed the S&T competitiveness of the energy sector and was commissioned to undertake energy policy studies that led to the crafting of the country’s energy twin-bill, the Biofuels Act of 2006 (RA9367) and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA9513). A leading researcher in energy and environmental sustainability, he is amongst the top 2% of the world’s scientist by Stanford-Elsevier. He sits as editorial board member and reviewer of prestigious international journals. He has delivered numerous keynotes and plenary lectures in international conferences and is a Visiting Scholar to universities in Asia, UK, and the USA. He was a former Executive Vice President of De La Salle University Manila, past Presidents of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) and the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE), USA. He is Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director and co-founder of the Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development Research (CESDR) at De La Salle University Manila.