Climate Week NYC — the world’s largest annual climate event — brought together business leaders, political figures, civil society representatives, and experts to accelerate progress on global climate goals through various activities held in New York City from September 21 to September 28, 2025.

DivinaLaw Senior Partner Atty. Jay Layug shared his expertise as speaker in The Rockefeller Foundation’s Coal to Clean Forum as part of the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC.

Attended by 150 business leaders, global energy pioneers, and philanthropists, the event is part of the initiative to set a comprehensive standard for the use of carbon finance to incentivize a just transition away from coal-fired power plants to renewables in emerging economies.

Atty. Layug was welcomed in New York by Rockefeller Foundation’s Mr. Ashvin Dayal (Senior Vice President for Power) and Mr. Joseph Curtin (Vice President for Energy Transitions).

Together with Rocky Mountain Institute’s Mr. Rachit Kansal (Manager) and Mr. James Sherwood (Director for Global Electricity Transition Program), Atty. Layug presented an asset-based approach to accelerate the transition of planned coal projects and provided alternatives that provide win-win-win formula for project developers, customer needs and grid operators.

The Philippines is primed to lead a much-needed transition to renewables given its heavy reliance on imported fuel and its coal moratorium in 2020. The Philippine Department of Energy recently concluded the fourth round of the Green Energy Auction Program successfully soliciting 9.4 GW of new renewable energy power plants to be installed between 2026 to 2029.

Atty. Layug co-heads DivinaLaw’s Energy Practice and is globally recognized for his contributions in the Philippine energy industry and the renewables sector.