Unilever and Upsilon give’real talk’ about climate change crisis

Climate change persists to exist—except this time, it has indeed taken a turn for the worse. 

Based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group 1 report “Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis,”Global warming levels should be reduced to 1.5°C or even 2.°C could be improbable without “immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” With all that is happening, it is time to have a real talk about climate change.

People are becoming anxious, scared, and confused by the dramatic changes happening around the globe. Climate change is causing widespread despair. 

In response, the Upsilon Sigma Phi‘s Climate Action Network (CAN) held its U-Talk webinar to emphasize Unilever’s Climate Action Transition Plan. Addressing climate change as one of the greatest threats to economic stability, the discussion delved into the private sector’s efforts in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

The private sector’s efforts

Unilever Vice-President Communication SEA Ed Sunico, a member the oldest Greek-letter fraternity and organization in Asia, knows well how Upsilon Sigma Pi has always stood by its principle of economic stability in the country.

According to theClimate Change Report by IPCCThe world is running out time to address the climate crisis. This is why Unilever Philippines is accelerating its efforts to protect the planet. Sunico says that climate change’s effects on the world soar above and beyond just the environmental sphere. Its economic and social impact could cause instability that could affect livelihoods and lives. Sunico says this explains why climate change and social inequalities are so intertwined.

This is where Unilever’s Climate Transition Action Plan comes in.

What does this mean?

The Climate Transition Action Plan consists of a variety of targets and actionable steps to combat the crisis through an emissions reduction roadmap that involves Unilever’s operations, value chain, and brands.

“We need to limit the global temperature rise by 1.5°C to avert climate catastrophe,” Sunico explains.

Unilever Philippines has a game plan. It began with the transition to 100 per cent renewable grid electricity in all of its sites, through its partnership with First Gen. The roadmap also includes spearheading climate-action initiatives such as the “Kolek-Kilo-Kita” plastic collection program in hundreds of barangays nationwide, plant-based food transformation, and the shift to non-HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) point of sale ice cream freezers.

Aligned with government initiatives

At the core of Unilever’s roadmap is to amplify the efforts of the government through the Department of Energy (DOE) in pursuing its e-mobility plan for the future. The DOE has long advocated the acceleration and use of e-vehicles by providing dedicated lanes for Filipino drivers and supporting them in using electronic vehicles over time.

Sunico acknowledges that this is only one of the many initiatives that the team has presented, but there is still much to do to increase climate resilience. The DOE is fully supportive of the creation and implementation of laws, policies, as well as initiatives. 

To address the global problem, Upsilon-CAN’s main goal for the webinar is to generate awareness of the current climate situation and encourage more Filipinos to come up with initiatives to resolve the crisis together.

For more information on Unilever Philippines’ plans and initiatives, visit this Link .

By INQUIRER.net/JA

Continue reading

Don’t miss the most recent news and information.

For feedback, complaints, and inquiries, Contact us