PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) expressed support for the country’s transition to a Circular Economy during their recent engagements with the government and the business sector.
As a key component of the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the circular economy is aimed at reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions through the adoption of sustainable modes of production and consumption.
“We believe that the circular economy will contribute not only towards addressing the ongoing triple planetary crisis on climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, but will also unlock opportunities for innovation, economic growth, and value creation across sectors,” said PLDT and Smart Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa Vergel de Dios.
PLDT and Smart joined the recent Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting of the House Committee on Economic Affairs on House Bill No. 8791 “An Act to Promote a Circular Economy” and House Bill No. 9791 “An Act Providing for A Framework for Circular Economy to Promote Sustainable Production and Consumption and National Economic Security”.
The telcos articulated support for the government’s promotion of a circular economy, as underpinned by their organizational roadmap for sustainability which includes focusing on waste management and circularity.
Following the TWG, the telcos submitted a position paper on these proposed legislations, expressing concurrence with salient provisions for the private sector, including the adoption of practices and digital innovations that minimize environmental footprint of products and services, among others.
PLDT and Smart further emphasized the need for government investments in the expansion of a circular infrastructure, as well as the establishment of incentives to support accessibility and mainstreaming of circularity solutions across sectors.
Meanwhile, together with their peers in the business sector, the telcos also participated in the Circular Economy Dialogue organized by the Makati Business Club (MBC). This gathering sought to consolidate industry comments on proposed legislation on Circular Economy and Low Carbon Economy in both houses of Congress.
In the MBC session, PLDT and Smart talked about their ongoing practices that align with key principles of circularity, such as product stewardship, waste reduction, and recycling. Relevant efforts include the mainstreaming of their eSIM offering for Smart and TNT customers and the integration of electronic waste collection into their business activities and industry collaborations.
“We aim to continue participating in these multi-sectoral engagements and keep abreast of emerging regulations to boost our capability to adopt the best solutions and maximize collaborations on circularity and sustainability,” added Vergel de Dios.
These initiatives align with PLDT and Smart’s continuing support to the Philippine government as it fulfills commitments to the Paris Agreement and contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), particularly UN SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and UN SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production.
