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CEBU, September 21 (PIA) -- The
local government unit of Mandaue City, Cebu is among the three LGUs
considered for funding for environmental sustainability efforts this October
from among the 21 member Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC)
economies.
In a press release, the nominees
are Krasnoyarsk City, Russia; Mandaue City, Philippines and Subang Jaya,
Malaysia. The funding in particular are the strategies leading to the reduction
of carbon use.
According to the Department of
Energy (DOE) undersecretary Loreta Ayson who is also
the Philippines Senior Official on Energy, the Low Carbon Model Town (LCMT)
Project of the APEC Energy Working Group (EWG) will choose in next month's
gathering in Cebu, who will receive the technical assistance.
"We are constantly looking
for potential LCMT candidates and it impresses me to find Mandaue City with
such a comprehensive plan involving land use, green building and transportation,”
Ayson said.
Mandaue City accordingly has a clear
target for reducing its CO2 emissions and has long been crafting measures
to establish a sustainable city to address air pollution and traffic
congestion.
Its proposed project consists of
developing green growth areas and interconnecting these areas within Metro
Cebu. An ordinance is also proposed promoting disaster-resilient
buildings in the city.
The LCMT Project of the APEC EWG has
been greatly instrumental in encouraging communities in the region to embark on
city planning initiatives promoting low carbon technologies to manage the
rapidly increasing energy consumption and consequently, mitigate the adverse
effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment.
Previous winners include the city of Da Nang in Vietnam
which implemented an innovative system of electric motorbikes and charging
facilities.
Samui Island in Thailand also got
support for its feasibility study to utilize solar, wind and small hydro power;
reliance on electric vehicles and reforestation and protection of existing
forests.
They also adapted Green technologies
for resort and hotel developments such as solar water heaters, solar panels on
rooftops, biomass power generation of kitchen waste and increased ventilation
for natural cooling.
Mandaue is located on the
central-eastern coastal region of Cebu, and is one of the three highly
urbanized cities on the island and forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan area. It
is connected by two bridges to the island of Mactan. Mandaue is also
known as the “furniture capital of the Philippines.”
(mbcn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu)
- See more at:
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2441442587803/mandaue-city-nominated-for-apec2015-funding-for-environment-strategies#sthash.UVp9tul6.dpuf