AIS opens AlterCOP, engages MSMEs toward climate action

Last 08 November, the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS), through the Climate and Disaster Resilience (CDR) Program, conducted a learning session titled “A Deep Dive on Climate Change” as part of AlterCOP Philippines’ satellite session, “MSMEs for Climate Action.” Taking its name from the annual climate summits known as the Conference of the Parties or COP, AlterCOP is a community-driven initiative that brings global conversations of COP30 to the local level, with the Philippines serving as one of the key enablers of climate action in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

The session gathered participants representing diverse sectors of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from the Philippines and Indonesia – from coffee and textiles to technology and creative industries. Designed to build foundational knowledge and inspire actionable change in their respective work, the discussion explored the fundamentals of climate systems and climate science, real-world implications of climate change, relationship between sustainability and resilience, and significant climate change international agreements.

Mr Daniel C Ratilla and Ms Ivy Geraldine D Ferrer, Program Head and Program Officer for CDR respectively, facilitated the session held at Conscious Commons, Makati City. This session was organized in partnership with The Spark Project, Climate Fresk, and Aqo Partners.

Before the discussion, participants engaged in a Climate Fresk workshop, an interactive activity exploring climate science concepts and reflecting climate action through collaboration. This exercise set the stage for the Deep Dive session, which later culminated in an MSME-focused workshop led by Aqo Partners, highlighting practical pathways for enterprise-level action planning.

Ms Ferrer contextualized climate science by revisiting key concepts from the Climate Fresk session such as greenhouse gases, carbon emissions, and climate hazards faced by the Philippines. She also traced the timeline of global climate frameworks leading up to the Paris Agreement and highlighted the crucial role MSMEs play in driving local solutions.

Mr Ratilla elaborated on the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic risks of climate change and explained the Earth system, sustainability, and climate resilience. He also underscored the Paris Agreement as a global commitment, where every sector – including MSMEs – has an essential stake in shaping a sustainable and climate-resilient future, particularly as we move towards a post-Paris world, where COPs set the stage for implementation as much as they do large agreements such as Kyoto, Cancun, and Paris.

Through these engagements, AIS continues to strengthen the bridge between knowledge and practice by empowering communities and enterprises to act towards collective climate action and fostering resilience.