Save our planet; go clean energy all the way

The world is fast reaching a point of no return.

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When United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres declared that the goal of capping global warming at 1.5°C is already slipping from reach, we must all listen and start thinking of what's in store for the future.

And the Philippines, for instance, is facing one hard truth. We pledged our allegiance to the Paris Agreement and submitted our first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)-committing to a 75-percent emissions reduction by 2030. But sad to state, the action required to make that promise real has yet to follow in full.

We cannot simply hide behind rhetorics and our promise while our concrete efforts lag. Let's face it. Our energy mix still leans heavily on coal and gas; our share of renewables sits stubbornly at around 22 percent, far from the 35-percent commitment by 2030 or 50 percent by 2040 targets declared by our government.

While we are missing our deadline, climate-related storms, sea-level rise, bleaching reefs, and floods continue to threaten us.

If the Philippines is to honor its commitments and protect our children's future, then it must act-swiftly, boldly, and decisively.