Paris Agreement to help Duterte fulfill 10-point economic agenda —experts

Climate and energy experts on Saturday argued that implementing the Paris Agreement will not necessarily hamper the country’s economic growth so long as the government pursues mitigation and adaptation actions on climate change that will result in sustainable development.

In a forum at the Ateneo De Manila University on Saturday, former environment undersecretary Antonio La Viña said climate change response, in fact, will aid President Rodrigo Duterte in fulfilling his 10-point agenda.

“One of these [government] priorities is promote science and technology, accelerate infrastructure, invest in human capital, increase competitiveness. And one of the things that we need for climate action is renewable energies. That also promotes valued change and rural development. That’s what we mean when we say [climate action] aligns with the agenda of President Duterte,” La Viña said.

Duterte earlier said that he would not honor the Paris Agreement, a global pact to curb the effects of climate change, as it will only slow down the country’s move towards economic growth.

“Yes, we are a signatory to that agreement and would you be able to maintain your emissions?" Duterte said in a speech on July 18. “No, I cannot tell.”

“I will not honor that. That was not my signature. Somebody else’s, not mine,” the president added.

However, La Viña said the government only needs to “climate-proof” the development agenda.

“These climate actions can be reflected in the 10-point agenda. This is about innovation and sustainable transportation and they are needed for some of these agendas,” La Viña added.

Lowering INDC

La Viña also argued that the Philippines’ Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) in the Paris Agreement, which is a 70-percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, is too high for the country to maintain.

He said this is because the commitment “had a good fallback,” which means the Philippines will “implement this obligation only if developed countries [who are responsible for climate change] will provide us the finance, the technology and the capacity to do this.”

This places the country in a “no-regrets commitment,” he said, and that the Philippines will not be held accountable in case it does not reach its 70-percent emission reduction goal.

With this, La Viña said the government, in keeping with its goal to industrialize, may change this INDC.

“We should consider [making it] lower, but commit to pay for some of it,” he said.

Optimizing energy mix

Tim Guanzon, senior policy adviser of Energy Reform Project SSG Advisors Llc., said another way to address climate change is to have an optimal energy mix for the country.

Guanzon said the government must establish an energy mix that will suit the "energy trilemma": security, equity and sustainability.

The government should also diversify the country’s sources of energy, she added. “We see that we’re highly dependent on just one resource [which is coal].”

The country’s overdependence on coal, according to Guanzon, decreases the flexibility to use renewable sources of energy (RE), which are more environment-friendly and less costly.

“[We should] reduce the overdependence on coal, increase or at least maintain the share of natural gas, and create a flexible environment to capitalize on rapid market changes on RE,” Guanzon said.

Guanzon also urged the government to fully implement the RE Act, which aims to accelerate the exploration and development of renewable sources of energy in the country.

The Paris Agreement will enter into force on November 4 after it was ratified by more than 55 percent of the countries, which is needed for its implementation.

The Philippines signed the agreement in April this year.

The country is also set to participate the Marrakech Climate Change Conference in Morocco this November. —ALG, GMA News