In the coming days, the Philippines will once again join the world and play its part in the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as the 27th Session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), which will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 06 to 18 November 2022.
As Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and Chair-designate of the Climate Change Commission, I will head the Philippine delegation comprised of representatives and negotiators from the House of Representatives, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Climate Change Commission, Department of Finance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy, as well as advisers from scientific and civil society organizations.
Addressing the impacts of climate change is at the forefront of the priorities of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.. In his statement at the 77th United Nations General Assembly last September, President Marcos rightly said that “there is no other problem so global in nature that it requires a united effort.”
The Philippines is prepared to be a part of that solution. Participation in COP27 is important as this is the biggest platform for nations and stakeholders to negotiate and address climate change and its adverse impacts.
Just the past week, Typhoon Nalgae (Paeng) devastated the country, reminding us again of the devastating impacts of climate change, affecting more than 3 million Filipinos. This force, in a matter of hours, swept away years of progress, destroyed homes and livelihoods and claimed precious lives. The increasing intensity and frequency of climate and weather-related hazards have been severely impacting the lives and livelihood of every Filipino people and putting a strain on the Philippine government’s efforts toward poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth.
Against this backdrop and guided by the current administration’s policies and priorities on climate change, the Philippine delegation stands ready to work with other nations and stakeholders and support Egypt’s efforts in galvanizing and revitalizing international consensus and political will in addressing the most urgent scourge that threatens the very existence of humanity as we know it.
Egypt, serving the COP27 Presidency, aims at making the COP27 an “implementation COP” by urging action across prior agreements through all areas of climate change with a focus on protecting people from the immediate impacts of climate change, ensuring no one is left behind. COP27 sets the stage to deliver transparent, accessible, predictable and efficient climate finance.
Building on the agreements from COP26 in Glasgow, the Philippines intends to contribute most to the workstreams dealing with Article 6 (of the Paris Agreement), Adaptation, Climate Finance, and Loss and Damage. The Philippines will not only safeguard its positions but also continue what it started.
The concept of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities remains relevant for the Philippines. In line with this, the Philippines supports GHG emissions reduction and removal but also pushes for the inclusion of GHG emissions avoidance in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Simultaneously, addressing Loss and Damage is crucial for Philippine climate action plans. As such, the Philippines agrees to the operationalization and funding of the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD), which aims to provide developing countries with technical assistance.
The Philippine delegation will assert the country’s call for bolder climate action and demand the delivery of what is due for the developing countries which hardly produce any greenhouse gas emissions, yet they suffer the most and continue to bear the brunt of the adverse impacts of climate change.
As developing countries need resources for climate adaptation, the Philippine delegation will continue calling on developed countries to step up to these obligations and deliver without delay on their commitments on climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building.
The Philippine delegation in the following days will continue to assert and safeguard the country’s interest in climate change negotiation, ensuring that we receive the appropriate support and assistance as a country vulnerable to climate change.
