PE2 gathers stakeholders in successful Energy Efficiency Day 2023
PASAY CITY, 23 March 2023 – The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) convened a diverse mix of energy efficiency market stakeholders in the well-attended Energy Efficiency Day 2023, an on-site conference held earlier today in the SMX Convention Center in this city. Energy Efficiency Day 2023 is the third annual event organized by PE2 to raise multi-sectoral awareness of the urgency and impacts of mainstreaming energy efficiency as the economy’s first fuel and of the obligations and opportunities under Republic Act No. 11285, otherwise known as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act. Unlike the predecessor events in 2021 and 2023 however, this year’s event was the first on-site event, and was held in conjunction with the PhilEnergy 2023 event. The conference carried the theme, “Building a Net Zero Future with Energy Efficiency.”
PE2 vice president for internal affairs Ruth Yu-Owen served as emcee of the entire event, while PE2 vice president for external affairs Theresa Acedillo-Lapuz and PE2 president Alexander Ablaza were tapped as moderators of the CEO session and panel discussion, respectively.
Ablaza welcomed all participants and guests with his remarks, “As PE2 welcomes you to this event, I pose this challenge -- We should all leave this conference with a bolstered new mission to aggressively push energy efficiency where there is little awareness, poor understanding, inadequate expertise and even insufficient capital. Let us all be beacons of positive energy, transforming our energy efficiency market with our own little share toward a 182 Mtoe reduction in final demand, deferment of 45,900 MW of energy infrastructure upgrades, mobilization of PHP 12 trillion in investments, and the creation of over 9 million jobs through 2040.”
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla opened the conference with a keynote on the vital role of energy efficiency in securing the country’s clean energy future. Danish Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin followed with his speech on the imperative of enabling energy efficiency to fuel the Philippines’ energy security. First Philippine Holdings chairman Federico Lopez explained why energy efficiency is a vital element toward a decarbonized energy future. Speaking on behalf of the entire Ayala Group, Ayala Property Management Corporation CEO Laurent Lamasuta shared the conglomerate’s present and planned efforts of deploying energy efficiency along the pathway toward Ayala Group’s 2050 net zero aspirations.
A panel discussion showcased how energy efficiency was being rolled out by various stakeholders as well as the opportunity to scale-up such efforts through the long term. Panel discussants included David Morgado, Senior Energy Specialist, Asian Development Bank (ADB); Peter Lundberg, Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA); Wesley Andre Chu, Deputy Division Manager, Daikin Airconditioning Philippines; Ariel Villaseñor, Vice President, Pi Energy; and, Josemari Lorenzo Valdez, Head of E-Mobility & Innovations, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC).
Closing the conference was Swedish Ambassador Annika Thunborg who underscored the role of energy efficiency amid the global climate agenda and how an alliance between Philippine and Swedish market players can serve to accelerate the market transformation toward a digitalized and energy-efficient future for the industrial sector. Angeline Tang, representing Gerard Leeuwenburgh of Informa Markets, also helped close the event.
Energy Efficiency Day 2023’s gold sponsors included Daikin Airconditioning Philippines, Pi Energy and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, while silver sponsors were Manila Electric Company (Meralco), Stratcon Power Services Philippines and Upgrade Energy Philippines.
PE2 announced that it would soon re-open online registration once a watch-on-demand video of the entire conference would be uploaded onto the PE2 website.
