Create for the Climate (CftC) is First Gen Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) environmental flagship program. Since its inception in 2017, CftC has already reached 7,878 students and community members in host schools and communities in Batangas City, Batangas; Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija; Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon; and Jabonga, Agusan del Norte. Community-level information, education, and communication (IEC) workshops on climate change were conducted, coupled with mentoring, development, and implementation of local Climate Action Projects (CAPs).
First Gen CEO and Chairman, Mr. Federico R. Lopez, stated that the pandemic is a precursor to a more pressing issue: climate change. Aiming for sustainability is no longer enough; the goal should be towards regeneration. Mitigating the effects of climate change requires regenerative practices in reducing carbon emissions. These practices require a shift to a regenerative mindset and behavioral change.
The nationwide quarantine and lockdown periods due to COVID-19 posed several challenges to the program implementation, including the postponement of face-to-face interactions and fieldwork. However, it has also presented opportunities to innovate with technology and various online platforms for knowledge sharing and capacity building. Last year, CftC transitioned to virtual trainings and webinars with “What’s Heating Up?”—a climate change webinar series covering the basic concepts, international and national policies, and climate change communication.
“Climate Change is one of the greatest threats to global security. It knows no borders and presents an experiential challenge to all of us.”
CftC also engaged First Gen employees from the head office and other site offices. The CSR department launched the CftC Ambassadors program. This program enabled employees to be CftC Ambassadors and share and implement climate actions and commemorate them with the hashtag #CFTCchallenge. The Ambassadors also facilitated their own “What’s Heating Up?” webinar to First Gen scholars in Batangas. They adopted the original webinar outline and customized it based on the target audience, the ambassador's expertise, and the participant's interests.
The CftC Ambassadors also had the freedom to explore different virtual methods and platforms of implementing the climate change webinar. In the words of Ms. Ice Estrada, a CftC Ambassador, “Climate Change is one of the greatest threats to global security. It knows no borders and presents an experiential challenge to all of us. The CftC webinars help us to take on the challenge and guide us to do our share to take care of our Mother Nature.”
It has been a year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid all these challenges, we have nurtured a community that remains passionate about the environment. They recognize that public health problems are also environment problems, and both require a more proactive and regenerative approach from everyone.