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PHL to send ‘small delegation’ to COP25


The Philippines will be sending a small delegation to the 25th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) which will be held in Madrid, Spain next month, according to an official of the Climate Change Commission.

"Magpapadala tayo, mayroon na tayong binuo na maliit na delegasyon at ito ay na-submit na natin sa tanggapan ng ating Pangulo. So, naghihintay na lang tayo ng feedback kung ano ang kanilang desisyon sa komposisyon noong Philippine delegation to COP25," CCC executive director Emmanuel De Guzman told reporters during one of the events for the 12th Annual Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week.

"There’s a high-level membership there, there will be a commissioner and there will also be legislators," he added.

Asked how small is a "small" delegation, De Guzman said that a maximum of 10 representatives of the country are expected to attend.

"Medyo nagtitipid tayo sa budget at ang i-include lang natin sa delegasyon ay 'yung talagang makakapag-contribute significantly sa technical work ng negotiation," he said.

The CCC executive director said that some of the points that will be raised by the Philippine government in COP25 are climate financing, capacity-building, ang damage and losses associated with climate change impacts.

"Kung limitado ang pupunta, limitado din ang masasakop natin kasi sa international climate negotiations, mga parallel discussions 'yan eh, maraming spinoffs na tinatawag, maraming pagtutok sa mga issue na sabay-sabay," De Guzman said.

"Ang Philippines, ang ating bayan, ay considered a leader in climate action. Sapul noong una pa, noong nagkakaroon pa ng matinding negosasyon para sa isang agreement na nahantong nga sa Paris Agreement," he added.

Around 25,000 delegates from 200 countries are expected to attend the climate summit which will be held in Madrid, Spain from December 2 to 13, 2019.

Earlier this year, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. banned air travel to climate change forums among DFA employees.

"My ban on air travel to climate change forums is strictly limited to DFA. Of course Congress and all other departments are free to go; we will accredit them," Locsin said.

"But we at DFA choose to follow the President's displeasure with more climate talk instead of climate action finally," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in March 2017 despite expressing his misgivings on the pact which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit the rise in global temperatures to below two degrees Celsius.

He had said that such an agreement would just be a "farce" if the developed countries would not honor their obligations under it.

Duterte also questioned the purpose of climate change talks when there is "no entity to enforce the laws governing climate." —LDF. GMA News

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