Following the celebration of World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) joins global consumer advocates and international organizations in a united call to empower consumers through clean energy transitions.
With energy prices skyrocketing and temperatures reaching all-time highs, global leaders are refocusing their efforts in providing affordable and sustainable energy. For the past 40 years, the consumer advocacy movement has celebrated WCRD and raised global awareness of consumer rights through a variety of strategic national campaigns and activities.
This year, the WCRD with the theme, “Empowering consumers through clean energy transitions”, builds on the growing global awareness that consumption shifts will be the key to meeting climate goals. In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that demand-side strategies could reduce future greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% by 2050.
This year’s WCRD aims to show that the daily choices we make as consumers, such as how we travel, cook, heat or cool our homes, have the potential to accelerate transformative changes for the planet, and calls on governments and businesses to provide more support to people making these changes.
The DTI, through its Consumer Policy and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB), will hold a Consumer Forum on 15 March 2023 that will tackle the country’s plans and programs on energy and other sustainable initiatives.
“Through this forum, the DTI hopes to educate consumers on the importance of transitioning to clean energy and to encourage the government and businesses to continue to look for ways to use renewable energy,” DTI Consumer Protection Group Undersecretary, Atty. Ruth B. Castelo, emphasized.
One of the highlights of the event is the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Consumer Care Advocacy Initiatives with selected government instrumentalities, non-profit institutions, and private sector stakeholders to increase consumer awareness of their rights and responsibilities and other consumer-related
Policies.
“This project will allow us to utilize the available platforms of these organizations to exhibit consumer education and information materials and increase the visibility of government’s consumer protection programs and initiatives,” said CPAB Director, Atty. M. Marcus N. Valdez II.
The Consumer Forum will be livestreamed on the DTI Consumer Care Facebook page. For consumer-related concerns and queries, send an email to ConsumerCare@dti.gov.ph or call the One-DTI (1-384) Hotline.
Date of release: 15 March 2023