Philippine Airlines Names Chief Resiliency and Sustainability Officer: 5 Things to Know

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has hired climate scientist Glenn S. Banaguas as chief resiliency and sustainability officer.

Here are five things to know about Banaguas and the airline's sustainability strategy.

1. Business Scope and Scale: Philippine Airlines was founded in 1941 and is the oldest commercial airline in Asia. As of 2022, the company had roughly 5,920 employees. The airline serves 33 destinations in the Philippines and 39 destinations across Asia, North America, Australia, and the Middle East.

2. Sustainability Focus: The company promotes a program called “R.I.S.E. Philippine Airlines." The program spans resiliency, inclusivity, sustainability, and enculturability. The effort includes a PAL Carbon Footprint Calculator, and various Environmental and Energy Management Systems, the company asserts. The airline's overall net-zero emissions roadmap has a 2050 goal, specifically tailored for the aviation industry. Still, the journey to sustainable aviation will be challenging, and some experts believe the aviation industry will fall short of its sustainability goals.

3. Glenn S. Banaguas's Expertise and Experience: Banaguas is the only Filipino individual to receive the United Nations Sasakawa Laureate for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) award. Also, he is the first Filipino to be recognized by the US Department of State for science and technology in the field of climate change and sustainable energy under the US-ASEAN Science and Technology Fellowship program.

Banaguas studied Climate Change and Energy at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University; and Sustainability Leadership from the Center of Environmental Law and Policy, Yale University.

4. Recent Milestones: Within a few weeks of Banaguas joining the company,  Philippine Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding with ENGIE, a global provider of low-carbon energy and services. The MOU has four areas of exploration and collaboration:

1. Energy Risk Management Services: ENGIE will provide PAL with energy risk management services to optimize energy consumption and enhance efficiency. 
2. Carbon Credits Procurement and Supply: ENGIE will assist PAL in procuring and supplying carbon credits, enabling the airline to offset its carbon emissions.
3. Decarbonization Strategies: The partners will exchange information and thought leadership on decarbonization trajectories, sharing best practices and innovative solutions.
4. Decarbonization Projects: PAL and ENGIE will collaborate on the development and implementation of projects related to low-carbon mobility, onsite renewable energy production, district cooling infrastructure, energy performance management and the exploration of topics around sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

5. Executive Perspectives: In a prepared statement, Philippine Airlines President and COO Stanley Ng said: “PAL is extremely blessed to have a multi-awarded climate and disaster scientist, Sci. Dpl. Glenn Banaguas, finally on board, as the nation’s flag carrier is at the crossroads of a transformative shift of direction of integrating the PAL Carbon Footprint Calculator and implementing the Environmental and Energy Management Systems, both pioneering initiatives ever implemented in the country under our R.I.S.E. program. He will be a tremendous asset to our company."

PAL Names Chief Sustainability Officer: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.