LONDON — Speaking before a captivated audience of students and Filipino expatriates at the London School of Economics (LSE), Representative Brian Poe delivered a stark but hopeful message: for the Philippines, the green transition is no longer a choice—it is a matter of national survival.
Poe, the Assistant Majority Floor Leader and FPJ Panday Bayanihan Representative, used the prestigious platform to present his lecture, “A Sustainable Future: Reimagining Development through a Philippine Lens.” During the talk, he detailed a roadmap of legislative reforms designed to pull the Philippines out of a “take-make-dispose” economic cycle and into a future defined by circularity and carbon finance.
The lawmaker did not mince words regarding the climate risks facing the archipelago. Citing data that paints a grim picture, Poe warned that extreme heat could impact 11 million Filipinos by 2030, a number that could balloon to 74 million by mid-century.
“This is not only an environmental crisis,” Poe told the LSESU Filipino Society. “It is a profound economic threat that demands urgent and coordinated legislative action.”
The financial stakes are staggering. Poe noted that climate change could slash the national GDP by up to 13.6% by 2040. If left unaddressed, that loss could reach a devastating 25% by 2050.
To combat these threats, Poe highlighted his work as a co-author of the Circular Economy Act. The proposed legislation aims to overhaul how the country handles resources by institutionalizing “product stewardship” and “extended producer responsibility.”
“A circular economy is about economic security, resource efficiency, and long-term national resilience,” Poe explained. He added that the transition would include reskilling the workforce through agencies like TESDA and DOLE to ensure that the shift to green industries leaves no worker behind.
Beyond domestic waste management, Poe is looking toward the global stage. He discussed two key pieces of legislation—the Carbon Rights Act and the Low Carbon Economy Act—which seek to create a clear legal framework for carbon trading.
By defining carbon ownership, the Philippines could finally unlock massive international investments in reforestation and renewable energy. Poe emphasized that while the Philippines is a “climate-vulnerable” nation, it is also a land of opportunity. A clean energy pathway is projected to create 300,000 green jobs and attract 5.8 trillion pesos in investment.
The lecture concluded with an appeal to the “global Filipino.” Poe urged the academic and professional community at LSE to bring their expertise back home, stressing that the “legislation of the future” requires a collaborative effort between the government, the private sector, and the diaspora.
“We are not only responding to climate change. We are legislating the future,” Poe said.