MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidates Nicanor Perlas and Jamby Madrigal may be lagging behind in pre-election surveys, but they led in a survey on the most environment-friendly aspirants.

Perlas and Madrigal topped the survey conducted by Greenpeace and Ecowaste Coalition, which graded the candidates according to their stand on environmental issues and their track record on protecting the environment.

Perlas got 94.2% in the groups' “green-to-grey” scale (where green means the most concerned with environmental issues). Madrigal came second with 78.68%.

Von Hernandez, executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, commended the 2 candidates for clearly presenting their positions for the environment. “I advise other candidates to learn from the examples set by Perlas and Madrigal on environmental issues,” Hernandez said in a perss confernce on Wednesday, the eve of Earth Day.

Hernandez stressed that the survey result does not mean that local environmentalist groups will support the candidacy of Perlas or Madrigal.

He said they just hope that the results of the survey will "guide" voters in choosing their candidates. "It is important for the public to know where the presidential candidates stand on environmental issues, and how they intend to address these ecological challenges if ever they get elected."

Greenpeace also commended the 2 candidates for presenting the programs of action for their first 100 days in office if elected president.

Perlas has committed to deal with the problem of smoke-belching, while Madrigal intended to serve as concurrent secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and suspend the issuance of mining permits.

Their track record helped boost their ratings. Perlas has been an active environmental advocate, while Madrigal is the head of the Senate environment committee.

The 2 candidates are faring poorly in pre-election surveys, however. Perlas and Madrigal has not gotten more than 2% in surveys conducted by the Social Welfare Stations and Pulse Asia.

In the survey of local environmentalists, however, it's Perlas's and Madrigal's chance to lead other presidential bets. Trailing behind them are runners-up Richard Gordon (78.45), Eddie Villanueva (70.87), Benigno Aquino III (64.94%), and Manuel Villar Jr. (62.59%). They earned a ‘lighter green’ marking in the survey.

Finally, Juan Carlos “JC” Delos Reyes got a very low 38.31 score. Joseph Estrada and Gilbert Teodoro Jr. both got no score for failure to respond to the survey. The 3 candidates fall under the “grey” marking.

The survey assessed the candidates’ stand on climate change and energy, water, solid waste, chemical safety, sustainable agriculture and genetically modified crops, forests, mining, nuclear power, and environmental challenges in urban development, like smoke belching and the proliferation of huge billboards. They were also asked of their environmental agenda if ever they win in the elections.

Based on the survey results, all 7 candidates who responded share a single thought on most of the issues raised on the survey, including:

• Phasing-out of coal power and support the increasing share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix.
• Implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003), as well as a ban on single-use plastics bags.
• Elimination of lead and other chemicals of concern in paint and other consumer products.
• Opposing the importation of genetically engineered food crops.
• Supporting the Department of Health’s position to stop aerial spraying of agro-chemicals in banana plantations.
• Establishment of national targets to progressively reduce the amount of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture.
• Amending of the Clean Water Act to incorporate a framework of zero discharge of hazardous chemicals from factories and domestic sources.
• Supporting the imposition of a total commercial log ban in the remaining forest areas in the country.
• Supporting of an alternative mining code, which seeks to revise the current framework of the mining industry in the country.
• Prioritizing the campaign against smoke belching.

They differed on some issues, however.

Perlas, Delos Reyes, Villanueva, Madrigal, and Gordon strongly support a ban on the conduct of field trials and commercialization of genetically engineered crops, while Villar and Aquino proposes more studies.

Except for Villar, all the candidates are against the proposed re-commissioning of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Perlas, Madrigal, Villanueva, and Delos Reyes strongly opposed nuclear power, while Villar, Gordon, and Aquino stressed the need for further studies.

Only Aquino and Villanueva are not opposed to the proliferation of huge billboards.(abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak)