First Gen offers P1 million for climate solutions

Think green and win

MANILA, Philippines — Students from 29 universities and colleges from around the country have joined a P1-million competition launched by Lopez-led First Gen Corp. for them to develop the best and most innovative ideas and solutions to cut their schools’ carbon footprint.

Lopez-led First Gen opened the tilt, dubbed “Code Green for Campuses,” as a way of encouraging students to contribute to the campaign against adverse climate change – a problem being aggravated by the continued buildup in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

The competition challenges the students to submit solutions and ideas in response to the following problem statement: “Given climate change, schools and universities are encouraged to look for ways to limit their carbon footprint. With this in mind, what innovative solutions and programs can you develop to manage, if not limit, your school’s current carbon footprint?”

Ricky Carandang, First Gen vice president and head of corporate communications, said that the school whose team submits the best solution or idea of decarbonization will win a P1-million prize in the form of an innovation fund for use as seed capital to bring to life the winning proposal.

At least 52 teams from 29 schools, including the country’s top universities and colleges, registered as participants in the Code Green for Campuses competition during its recent virtual launch, hosted by actor and motivational speaker RJ Ledesma.

The launch was supported by officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as event partners Edukasyon.ph, One Cainta Food Program, SustainaRumble, and Nomura Research Institute-Manila Branch.

Of the registered teams, 51 submitted their respective concept papers before the deadline for such submissions lapsed last Feb. 9.  Of the submitted entries, 43 passed the initial screening and will undergo an elimination round on Feb. 19 to determine the top 15 entries for the semifinal round.

At the semifinal stage, the 15 teams will get their respective mentors who will help the teams prepare or pitch their proposals for potential programs to be implemented in their schools. Later, the 15 contestants will compete on March 4 for one of five spots in the final round of the Code Green for Campuses tilt.

During the final round, the five remaining participants will present their respective entries before a panel of judges led by Dr. Rodel Lasco, the executive director of the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation Inc.

The finals presentation will be held on March 16 at the Novotel Manila Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City.

Aside from the P1-million innovation fund for the winning school, the student team that tops the competition also gets a P100,000 prize; the first runner-up receives P75,000; the second runner-up, P50,000; third runner-up, P30,000; and fourth runner-up, P20,000.

First Gen, like its parent firm First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH), has a long history and a strong advocacy to fight climate change. The advocacy explains why First Gen power plants run either on renewable energy sources, such as hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind; or on natural gas, considered the cleanest fossil fuel. These power facilities have a total installed capacity of 3,501 megawatts.