ANGARA & COMSTE PURSUING RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJ FOR RP

Senator Edgardo, J. Angara supports Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering's (COMSTE) international Forum on Renewable Energy and Agriculture next week September 3-4 at Sofitel which aims to integrate different sector's views on developing innovative, strategic directions and technologies to find ways to leverage the new Renewable Energy Act, to create a domestic clean energy sector and create jobs in this arena.

"Harnessing and utilizing renewable energy is a sure investment of the country in the future as the world acts to stabilize the use of nonrenewable energies to divert into the development of new science and technologies which aim to balance economic promotion and environment protection," said Angara chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

The Renewable Energy and Agriculture Conference-COMSTE (REACCT) will be a two-day event bringing together international leaders in renewable energy as well as local industry players to discuss current and future technologies and investment opportunities. Additionally, the conference aims to discuss prospects in agriculture, in energy and IT bringing internationally and locally-recognized individuals on biofuels, climate change, and remote sensing technologies.

The Forum also intends to submit a consolidated recommendation of the private sector about renewable energies to the International Conference on Green Industry in Asia organized by United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Renewable Energy Law or Republic Act No. 9513, authored by Senator Angara, creates leverage for the Philippines to establish and enhance a domestic clean energy industry which affect critical areas of development in science and technology - namely agriculture, information technology (IT), and electronics. Moreover, the RE law paves way in the creation of strategic programs such as this conference in order to accelerate the upgrading sustainable energy systems in the country.

"This forum on renewable energies is an outcome of bringing to the fore the goal of achieving equilibrium for the issues on economic viability, sustainable environment and poverty reduction," said Angara.