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PHL gov't vows 70% lower greenhouse emissions by 2030

By KIERSNERR GERWIN TACADENA, GMA News

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Following the signing of the landmark international climate accord last Earth Day, April 22, the Philippine government is developing a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory management and reporting system in its commitment to reduce global warming.

In his statement delivered after the signing, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje said the country is pursuing strategies to ensure the provision of ecosystem services and green growth to address pollution and environmental degradation.

“Despite financial limitations, the Philippines has already demonstrated its commitment to meeting its pledge with the implementation of the national climate action plan and the integration of climate change in national and local development plans and budgets,” Paje said. 

The Philippines joined 174 other countries at the signing of the Paris Agreement, which took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

The agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change serves as a framework for GHG emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance starting in the year 2020.

Under the agreement, signees must commit to reducing the temperature increase and keep it within the 1.5 degree Celsius cap through their nationally determined contributions (NDC). For the Philippines, the government pledged 70 percent reduction in GHG by 2030. Reduction of GHG will come from the energy, transport, waste, forestry and industry sectors.

 


 

“Too much is at stake. Developed countries therefore need to do more in terms of dramatically raising their NDC ambition compatible with the 1.5-degrees Celsius threshold, as well as raising funding contribution to the climate action plans of vulnerable countries, which require adequate, predictable and sustainable financing. The Philippines also urges developed and developing countries alike to take urgent pre-2020 action,” Paje said.

Meanwhile, Senator Loren Legarda urged all countries to immediately ratify the agreement. She committed to lobbying the Senate to ratify the agreement.

The Philippines chairs the Climate Vulnerable Forum, an international partnership of 43 countries highly susceptible to the effects of global warming.

“The Philippines joins you here today to take that next step and affirm our commitment to undertake and complete domestic processes to bring the Agreement into effect within this year,” Legarda said.

She said countries can already take actions to achieve the 1.5 degree Celsius cap on global temperature before 2020.

“We have already breached one degrees Celsius and look what has happened to countries like my country, the Philippines. We still feel the effects of Typhoon Haiyan. Our country and large parts of the world are reeling from the effects of extended drought,” she said.

As of now, 15 countries have already ratified the agreement, including Barbados, Belize, Fiji, Grenada, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, Palau, Palestine, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Somalia and Tuvalu.

Earlier, the DENR and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spearheaded the joint online campaign #Sign4Climate in the country.

USAID/Philippines Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy And Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) Program launched several activities in support of the signing of the Paris Agreement.

In Isabela Province, elementary school children were taught how to contribute to protecting the environment through the Trees for the Earth symposium.

 


 

Support also poured in from communities and local government units around watersheds in the country.

 




 

 


 

— TJD, GMA News

Tags: globalwarming, climatechange, parisclimatechangedeal
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