a day ago
NRDC chief urges climate partnership at Cebu forum
At the Climate Solutions Forum in Cebu on June 18, 2025, new Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC) President and CEO Benjamin Turgano delivered his first policy speech, urging local governments, universities, and businesses to unite behind a bold plan for regenerative development.
The event was organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) in partnership with the German Embassy Manila, where around 80 leaders from government, local businesses, embassies, and German companies gathered.
It aimed to showcase real-world solutions in clean energy, circular economy, and climate resilience.
In his speech, Turgano said the Philippines sits at a defining moment for environmental action.
'We convene today at a critical inflection point in our nation's and the world's ecological and development history… to re‑imagine, re‑calibrate, and re‑commit to the singular goal of safeguarding life while enabling prosperity,' he said.
Turgano unveiled a 'Seven‑Pillar Convergence Agenda' to guide long-term climate solutions across regions.
These pillars serve as anchors for cross‑sectoral partnerships that leverage science, policy, and community empowerment,' he said.
The plan pushes for deeper regional action in areas such as carbon trading, clean energy micro‑grids, coastal resource stewardship, watersheds, mine site recovery, waste-to-energy infrastructure, and green business incubation in schools.
He highlighted the importance of public lands as places that both earn revenue and restore nature.
'Every peso invested in public lands is not only generating financial return, but simultaneously producing ecological goods, restored soil fertility, flood control, water security, carbon sequestration, habitat restoration, biodiversity recovery, and community resilience,' he said.
Turgano also proposed a 'National Coalition for Sustainability and Regeneration' to turn short-term projects into long-lasting, measurable collaborations among all sectors.
'What we are confronting is not merely an environmental challenge. It is a profound test of our national character… Will we finally rise to become what our people have always had the capacity to be? A nation whose prosperity flows not from depletion, but from renewal,' he said,
The forum also spotlighted Cebu's role as a key economic center outside Manila. Turgano urged Visayas and Mindanao to lead by example.
'We know that the tools exist. That the science is already here. That technologies are emerging… That people are ready to participate,' he said,
His message: Regions must champion regenerative growth, and combining economic opportunity with ecological stewardship.
'Sustainability requires sustained efforts and sustained alliances. Again, we humbly invite you. Let us embrace the Seven Pillar Convergence Agenda and help establish the National Coalition for Sustainability and Regeneration… In the name of the Filipino people… let us build the regenerative republic and let us build a better world,' he said.
