Marcos: PH promotion of e-vehicles part of commitment to Paris Agreement

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday said the government's promotion of the use of electric vehicles is among its measures to uphold the Philippines' commitment to the Paris Agreement.

"Under this treaty, we pledged to a projected greenhouse gas emissions reduction and avoidance of 75% for 2020 to 2030 in agriculture, wastes, industry, transport, and energy," Marcos said in a speech during the launch of Dongfeng Motors in the country.

"In the Philippines, the transportation sector is the largest source of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. So, if we aim to fulfill our pledge to the Paris Agreement, we need to boost the share of electric vehicles in the total projected vehicle fleet nationwide," he added.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on December 12, 2015.

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by 2030.

The overarching goal of the Paris Agreement is to hold "the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels" and pursue efforts "to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels."

The UNFCCC said the deal works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries. Since 2020, countries have been submitting their national climate action plans, which are also known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

According to Marcos, the government aims to increase the share of electric vehicles to 10% or hopefully 50% by 2040. He said that as of late 2020, there are around 8,800 electric vehicles in the country.

"So, to boost this number, we are working on the gradual shift to electric vehicles for public transportation," Marcos said. "Currently, we are implementing the PUV Modernization Program. This entitles beneficiaries to special loan facilities and equity subsidies for the acquisition of electric vehicles."

Marcos mentioned that nearly 400 electric public utility vehicles are plying 29 routes nationwide, "bringing safe, modern, comfortable, and green transportation to the masses."

Marcos also thanked the Legado Motors Incorporated for partnering with Dongfeng Motors in importing some of its electric vehicle models to the Philippines and offering them to the local market.

"We heartily welcome your efforts to help us actualize our goal to increase the use of electric vehicles in our transportation sector," he said.

"Considering our continued dependence on imported fuels and the volatility of oil products in the world market, it is only sensible that we encourage the shift to electric vehicles," the President added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News