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Of Money and Promises: A Brief Investigation of Ayala Lands and their Carbon Offsets

 Ayala is a name of certain repute here in the Philippines. When one hears it, their first line of thought may go to the prominent Zobel de Ayala clan. Or it may go to the popular lifestyle malls dotted all around the country. Or, taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, one may immediately think of the country’s oldest known conglomerate, the Ayala Corporation. Whatever the case, such an old and powerful name holds a heavy weight to it.

For example, Ayala Lands, the real-estate subsidiary of Ayala Corporations, may be associated with premier properties and state-of-the-art building projects, but it has also gained notoriety for expanding areas via unethical land grabbing—much to the chagrin of affected farmers and small property owners. Despite this, the company has tried its best to maintain a clean and approachable image. One way it has done this is by purchasing carbon offsets and by ensuing a “Carbon Neutrality and Net Zero Program.”

A picturesque image of one of Ayala Lands' premier properties in Cebu, the Cebu Business Park. Photo from https://www.ayalaland.com.ph/estates/cebu-park-district/

In line with the demand for companies to be more environmentally accountable, Ayala Lands has made a steep promise: to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to their website, they aim to do this by applying strategies via (1) lessening energy usage, (2) shifting to more sustainable energy sources, and (3) “offsetting residual emissions” that involve “protecting and enhancing” forests within their holdings.  

The last strategy refers to the controversial practice of purchasing carbon offsets (sometimes known as “carbon credits”). This is the act of an entity purchasing a carbon credit to decrease its carbon footprint—at least, on paper. There are a variety of ways one can purchase carbon credits. An example can be when Shell Philippines launched a program that could “help” the public contribute to building a more sustainable future. For a small service fee, customers can now offset their carbon emissions from every fuel purchase by contributing an amount of money to the fuel company’s forest conservation projects.

Nowadays many businesses offer this option and customers looking for an easy way to help the green movement can avail themselves. Unfortunately, bigger entities purchasing carbon credits can pose a huge problem, especially since this allows them to make outrageous claims about their carbon footprint.

Activists in the Philippines protest at the Nestle Headquarters in Manila, calling out their greenwashing tactics. "We're here to tell Nestle to stop faking it," campaigner Jefferson Chua says. Photo from  https://www.greenpeace.org/philippines/press/12025/activists-send-plastic-waste-back-to-nestle-call-out-company-for-greenwashing/

Despite their unethical land-grabbing tendencies, Ayala Land has long been lauded with several accolades and recognized by legitimate organizations for their proactive stance towards sustainability. However, their connection with the South Pole company (a global provider of climate solutions that has worked with big names like Nestle—a company caught to have made outrageous claims on cutting carbon emissions) and their “Net Zero” program piqued my interest.

According to Greenpeace, the “Net Zero” carbon offset is a scam. This is because the definition of net zero does not mean zero carbon emissions—it means that for every carbon emission a company produces, an equivalent “green action” is taken. Often, companies do this by claiming to plant trees, maintain forests, and protect wildlife reservoirs. Thus, even if Net Zero worked, the best it can really do is maintain and balance out the existing carbon reservoir in our atmosphere. It gives companies an excuse to produce more emissions.

Putting all this into perspective, the question remains: Is Ayala Lands really taking measures to lessen their carbon footprint by protecting their vast tractions of (yet) untouched and ungentrified properties? 

I think it’s best if we all chew on that.

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