Duterte's rebuff of climate treaty akin to ‘shooting himself in the mouth’ – FVR  

In his own bluntly-worded manner, former President Fidel V. Ramos said that President Rodrigo Duterte was "full of S....T" if he thought his diatribes against the Philippines' allies and the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change Agreement was his God-given destiny, and  that his rejection of the climate agreement was akin to him and the entire country "shooting [themselves] in the mouth".

Ramos, in an opinion piece written for a Manila broadsheet, pointed out that mitigating the effects of climate change required international cooperation and collective positive action, and that this collective action was embodied in the Paris climate agreement.

The former president explained that Duterte was wrong if he thought the agreement limited greenhouse gas emissions similarly among participating countries, not taking into account the major responsibilities developed countries have to the problem while also stunting the economic progress of developing nations.

Rather, Ramos argued, the Paris Agreement was based on the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), and thus recognized the larger burden for emissions limits for developed countries while allowing for the growth of developing ones.

"[The agreement], in fact, recognizes that developing countries can peak their emissions at a later time, as they pursue sustainable development and poverty eradication according to their respective national plans," wrote Ramos.

Furthermore, the Paris Agreement also called on developed nations "to set aside at least $100 billion yearly as financial assistance to developing countries starting 2020 to enable all countries to actualize renewable (or green) energy sources."

The ex-president believed that Duterte's main problem with the Paris Agreement was the 70 percent emission-reduction goal the Philippines submitted to the UN last year as its intended Nationally Determined Contribution.

"However, [the submission was] just an indicative number and is conditioned on the provision of financial, technological, and capacity-building support," Ramos countered, adding that the Paris Agreement did not impose emission reductions on the Philippines.

"Should any country decide to eventually become a party to the agreement, it will only be asked to submit its Nationally Determined Contributions," Ramos point out.

And already, last July, the Philippine Climate Change Commission and concerned national agencies had agreed to consider revising the numbers, while prioritizing and highlighting the country’s adaptation and loss and damage actions in its final Nationally Determined Contribution.

Ramos argued further that failure to ratify the Paris Agreement would limit the Philippines' participation in the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) in Marrakesh to being mere observers, and we would thus be unable to advance the interests of the country.

Ratification, however, will "enable us to secure more investments towards our climate goals and gain access to the financial, technological, and capacity-building support to be provided to parties of the Agreement."

Ramos concluded by calling on the president to approve the Paris Agreement "forthwith", and "certify it for Senate ratification to promote our country’s interests and fight for climate justice." — DVM, GMA News