Negros Occidental officials and the private sector were rallied yesterday to help combat worsening global warming problems by venturing into projects that will reduce green house gasses and at the same time allow local ventures to earn cash.

Anita Celdran, who heads the Asian Team of AHL Carbono, a carbon finance firm, told the forum that it is a moral, not a political obligation to help reduce unrestricted carbon emissions, that largely come from fossil fuel, through alternative ventures to protect the environment.

The forum was organized by environmental advocate Gretchen Oppen Cojuangco at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City and was attended by Gov. Joseph Marañon, Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco, the mayors of Negros Occidental, and representatives from the private sector. It was held to inform local leaders how environmental projects can earn cash through the Clean Development Mechanism set up under the Kyoto Protocol that allows first world countries to earn "certified emission reduction units (CERs)" to be used for fractional compliance with their GHG (Green House Gases) reduction commitments under the Protocol.

Celdran explained that companies in the First World that have hit their carbon emission limits under the Kyoto Protocol have to buy "carbon credits" or CERs from environmental projects of developing countries or face a penalty of 40 euros per ton of excess carbon they emit into the atmosphere.

It is a trade, first world companies pay for their environmental sins by paying ventures in developing countries per ton of carbon dioxide that is prevented from being released to the atmosphere, she said.

Celdran's firm, AHL Carbono, facilitates the trade of carbon reduction units from environmental projects in developing countries with companies in developed countries that need them to comply with Kyoto Protocol standards.

In the Philippines only eight firms, that include piggeries, wind farms, a geothermal plant and a distillery plant have been registered with the United Nations to avail of CERs points that they can exchange for cash, she said.

In Negros Occidental three firms are also now in the process of registering with the UN to avail of the CDM that will allow them to earn extra cash, she also said.

They are the First Farmers Holding Corporation Bagasse Cogeneration Plant, San Carlos Renewable Energy Project and the Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant, she said.

Many other environment ventures in Negros Occidental also have the potential to earn cash through this mechanism, she said, among which are solid waste management projects.

During the forum, Cojuangco said carbon trading is a doable project in Negros Occidental.

"Anything is doable if you put your heart into it, she said.

She is very optimistic carbon trading will help push environment protection, Cojuangco said, because it gives incentives to those who work at reducing carbon emissions.

"It will also help us bring environmental protection efforts to international standards, because once we participate in the carbon trading system, out projects have to meet the requirements set up under the Kyoto protocol," she added.

This is an exciting development for the environment, she said.*CPG

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