A global energy transition is well underway.
Fueled by dystopian scenarios of the climate crisis, governments, big business, and civil society organizations around the world have been on overdrive to rapidly scale sustainable energy. On all fronts, sustainable energy is being mainstreamed — from efficient cook stoves to green buildings, from LEDs to ocean energy, from rooftop solar to low-enthalpy geothermal. The Philippines itself is on an aggressive trajectory in increasing its renewable energy capacity, with a target to source at least 50% of all its energy needs from renewables by 2040, and 70% by 2050. This includes major portfolios on biomass, geothermal, solar, hydro, and wind, with increasing explorations in ocean energy.
On Friday, the 30th of January 2026 at 5:30PM via Zoom, Enrique Gallardo will deliver a talk with a title Renewable Energy and Geographic Contestations in the Philippines for the first Heo/Geo Lecture Series for 2026. Presented by the UP Department of Geography and the Philippine Geographical Society (PGS), this Heo/Geo Lecture is the first among many diamond celebrations of PGS which turned 75 last December.
Enrique Gallardo Jr has over 20 years of renewable energy work experience, ranging from missionary electrification initiatives to the launch of the first green energy auction program in the Philippines. He has worked extensively with the Department of Energy, various distribution utilities / electric cooperatives, international development organizations, and the private sector. He obtained a Master of Science degree in Renewable Energy Systems and is currently completing his PhD in Philippine Studies, with a research focus on the global energy transition and its impact on Indigenous communities and geographies. At present he is teaching a course on the concepts and principles of land use at the UP Department of Geography.
The talk provides a glimpse how the pursuit of so-called sustainable energy pathways is fomenting rapid land conversion, encroachment into critical spaces, and social conflict. On balance, the presentation also explores the necessity and benefits of renewable energy development in the country, specifically in the context of building energy resilience and security in an increasingly volatile world. Attention is also accorded to possible solutions, or at least convergences, that enable the pursuit of energy resilience while mitigating its impact on vulnerable communities and spaces.
The Heo/Geo Lecture Series is a monthly resource talk / lecture given by academic geographers, geography-adjacent scholars, practitioners working in geospatial industries, and partners that engaged in multiple publics, and based locally and abroad. The talk ranges from the sharing of research findings to pedagogical practices and field-based experiences. This month's Heo/Geo Lecture Series is facilitated by the Environment and Development Geographies (EDGE) research group of the UP Department of Geography. The talk is in line with the SDG #3 (Good Health and Well Being), #7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), #11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), #13 (Climate Action) and #15 (Life on Land) of the United Nations.
To participate in the lecture, click this link to register or just paste this link to your URL: https://tinyurl.com/44fthdye
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