Musician and record producer Apl.de.ap of Grammy Award-winning group Black Eyed Peas is also a philanthropist.
In previous years he played an instrumental role in setting up a music studio and a library in a Pampanga university, and helped orchestrate a scholarship program for young Filipino talents intending to enter the creatives industry. More recently, his Apl.de.ap Foundation International signed up with an American electric vehicle maker and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in funding an EV technical training project for select Filipino youths.
At the 2024 edition of the Asia and the Pacific Transport Forum held by the ADB on May 14-17, he once again stepped into the spotlight not to perform, but rather to join a fireside chat with panelists and delegates. In this biennial gathering where terms like “inclusion,” “resilient,” “decarbonization” and, of course, “sustainability” served as veritable lampposts lighting the route, Apl.de.ap supplied the celebrity wattage.
“This is trying to research the best way to successfully electrify the Philippines,” he said.
Now, understand that amid questions raised by some quarters over just how eco-conscientious EVs supposedly are — concerns like the source of their raw materials and the electricity powering them, disposal of used batteries, among others (a topic for another piece) — these vehicles are widely seen as the dominant form of personal transportation in a future nearer than many people are wont to think. Or accept.
As such, during the forum, which this year adopted the theme “Clean Transport for All,” the ADB said the transition to electric vehicles “represents a significant step forward.”
That said, the bank correctly recognizes it is not the sole solution. Instead, it sees electromobility as part of a holistic approach that would lead the transport sector into becoming truly environmentally sustainable, accessible to more users, and safe.
So, besides electrification, the forum looked into the status of the region’s infrastructure, the movement of freight across and within borders (both an indicator and an actual driver of economic activity), and people’s access to reliable transportation, among other developments. Added to the agenda this year were matters on gender equality, social development, and digitalization. Air pollution and its likely effects on climate change was, expectedly, a key topic, too.
ADB Managing Director GeneralWoochong Um opened the forum by saying the bank “sharply focuses” on its “instrumental role” in using the transport sector as a vehicle for sustainable development and in addressing climate change. As such, discussions should “pivot around transformative strategies for decarbonizing the transport sector,” he said.
And pivoted around these the talks did, interminably fueled by terms like “inclusion” and “resilient,” “decarbonization” and “sustainability.” Considering the complexity of the various to-do lists — these go beyond any routine multi-point service checkup — one of the most crucial issues for groups working on climate change impact is funding.
ADB has got this covered. Well, as much coverage as the $100 billion of its own resources the bank said it has earmarked for climate change-related finance between 2019 and 2030 can provide, that is.
In 2023 alone, ADB committed $10.75-billion worth of climate finance support.
And among the seven sectors — which count in agriculture, energy, and water and other urban services — that were allotted assistance, transport took a quarter of the total amount, reaching $2.62 billion.
The 2023 total amount was split between initiatives on climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation. Mitigation projects, said to be more challenging as these need to take into account more projections and to anticipate various future requirements, took the bigger share with nearly $6.2 billion in allotment. Of this, more than 65% went to efforts in the energy and transport sectors, with the former slightly edging out the latter.
Nearly all of ADB’s climate finance for the same period came in the form of loans (95.5%), with the rest composed of grants, technical assistance, guarantees, and equities. The bulk of the amount, at $9.25 billion, was committed to member governments. Those in South Asia collectively accounted for 37.9% of the share, Southeast Asia sovereigns made up 34.2%.
Notably, the chunk taken by the transport sector in ADB’s climate finance reflects the percentage in the cost of funding Developing Asia’s infrastructure requirements in the years to come.
In a previous report, ADB estimated the region, if it were to maintain its growth path and capacity to tackle climate change, needs to spend a staggering $1.7 trillion per year until 2030 on building various infrastructure projects. More than 30% of this total amount, the bank stressed, should go into the transport sector.
During the forum, ADB’s managing director general reported that the transport sector in recent years has already accounted for “almost half” of the climate finance the bank has made available. This means the total assistance committed to date, Mr. Um said he is happy to announce, is “well on track.”
Put another way (and to borrow Black Eyed Peas’ words); the funding is not 2000 and late.