PH rises to global ESCO frontline

After years of delays and half-powered commitments, the Philippine energy service company (ESCO) market is finally into high gear—helping energy-intensive businesses cut waste, boost efficiency, and usher them into the fast lane of green tech. And while at it, these energy efficiency frontrunners are also flexing the country into the global spotlight.

- MYRNA M. VELASCO

At the recent International ESCO Symposium in Istanbul, Turkey, the Philippines rolled itself onto the international stage, with energy efficiency gains solid enough to land it a spot in the 2025 Global ESCO Market Report as a “moderately growing and mature” player—a manifestation that the country is no longer just playing catch-up, but has been charging forward with sustained momentum. The Global ESCO Network, a partnership between the United Nations Environment Program Copenhagen Climate Center (UNEP-CCC) and the Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO), convened this year’s high-level gathering, hosted by the Energy Efficiency and Management Association of Tiirkiye.

ESCOs are the “hitmen” of energy waste, and they primarily help businesses and organizations—such as manufacturing facilities, malls, hotels, office buildings, hospitals, and schools—use less energy and save money without the owner having to pay heavy upfront costs. Typically, they inspect establishments and find where energy is being squandered—i.e., old lights, bad insulation, inefficient heating or cooling systems—and these energy leaks serve as their battle map in prescribing solutions, including the installation of more energy-efficient equipment in these facilities.

As highlighted in the newly launched Global ESCO Market Report, “the markets of Czech Republic, Germany, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Spain and Belgium indicate ‘relatively mature’ ESCO activity and consistency in implementation modalities and technical performance,” and as specified, these markets have been delivering savings rates of around 30 percent.