An Economy Powered by Sun and Wind — It’s Almost Here | Kala Constantino | TED

Hello, everyone.

I want to share a story of great change underway in the Philippines,

driven by the work of many people like Nass.

Nass is a dedicated policy expert who has advised key government officials

on the country's climate agenda.

Now, Nass is leading hundreds of climate leaders,

mobilizing local governments and companies

to shift to 100 percent renewable power.

Because of their work last year,

three companies and two city governments have chosen to do so.

Nass is not alone.

Across the Philippines,

thousands of people have come together

to find effective ways to tackle runaway climate change.

These include policymakers, scientists, young people,

community leaders, small and large business owners.

They are breaking down the barriers that stand in the way

of cheaper and cleaner renewable power, such as wind and solar.

Because of this huge collective effort,

I am now filled with hope

that the Philippines is moving towards an economy

powered by the sun and the wind.

My name is Kala Constantino from the Tara Climate Foundation,

and I am proud to know and work with people like Nass

who have made this transformation possible.

The Philippines has long depended on imported coal and gas.

Because of this,

114 million Filipinos pay one of the highest electricity prices

in Southeast Asia.

But people want change.

The Philippines is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,

and we lose millions of dollars annually

due to stronger and more frequent typhoons.

For us, climate change is real.

We see it every year in the storms that rampage through our communities,

killing people, destroying infrastructure and agriculture.

We see the energy transition as an opportunity

to make our economy more resilient.

Renewable energy can bring in economic opportunities

and create jobs in new industries.

Scaling up wind, for example,

could add 1.1 billion dollars to our economy

and create 80,000 new jobs

over the lifespan of the wind farms.

The Philippine government recognizes this,

and it's increasing its ambition for renewable power.

Three years ago, the government adopted a moratorium

on building new coal-fired power plants.

Since then,

several Filipino banks have adopted policies

stopping the financing of coal and funding more renewables.

The new energy plan

aims to have renewables account for at least 35 percent

of the power generation mix by 2030.

This would not have been possible without a diverse group of people

committed to accelerate the country's transition to renewables.

Ian has spent 20 years working with communities

and vulnerable groups in cities and towns across the Philippines,

calling on the government to transition to an inclusive economy

powered by renewable energy.

And Grace has spent 30 years promoting renewables with local governments

as well as with multilateral development banks.

Now she runs her own organization,

building solar-powered plants in small islands in the Philippines.

Lawrence develops innovative finance solutions

to enable more private investments into renewables

as well as to retire coal plants early.

They include a new generation of young voices, too.

Jeff analyzes and interprets power systems sata

to drive home the story of why renewables are better,

cleaner and cheaper.

Avril is a young lawyer proposing regulations

that will accelerate renewables deployment.

Thanks to their efforts

and the efforts of many more people like them,

the energy transition in the Philippines is gaining momentum.

But it isn't over yet.

Operating coal plants still provide 47 percent of our electricity,

and there are plans to build seven new gas terminals.

We need to transition away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible.

To keep moving forward,

we need to continue working together

to increase investments for wind and solar,

including offshore wind.

We need to redraft regulations that hinder the growth of this sector.

We need to build a modernized

and distributed electricity grid

that will be able to absorb and transmit more renewable energy.

We need to ensure a just and fair transition

for workers and affected communities.

A lot remains to be done

before all Filipinos can benefit from cheaper electricity,

a cleaner environment, a just and fair economy.

And we will get there,

hand in hand with energy transition champions

from around the world.

Thank you.