7 November 2022, Sharm el Sheikh – COP27 Head of Delegation the Honorable Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the One Planet High-Level Summit on Vital Reserves of Carbon and Biodiversity at COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.
During the summit, Secretary Loyzaga indicated the Philippines’ support for the One Planet Initiative and willingness to engage in these partnerships to explore ways on how the parties can work together to achieve the goals of this program. Ministers from countries such as the United States, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Rwanda, Gabon, and officials from Conservation International, World Bank, and Global Environment Fund were also present.
Secretary Loyzaga also held a bilateral meeting with French Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories the Honorable Christophe Bechu prior to the summit. During the meeting, the Philippines relayed its high-level participation in the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) which will happen this December 2022 in Montreal, Canada. The Philippines and Cambodia are the only two countries in Southeast Asia that have signified support for the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People. The HAC aims to protect over 30% of land and sea by 2030 which is viewed as necessary to protect species, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, and reach other environmental targets through increased public and private financing, long-term management and local governance, and clear implementation mechanisms.
The two ministers exchanged views and discussed developments in national efforts to address climate change. Minister Bechu expressed France’s desire to pursue further bilateral discussions to explore further areas for cooperation such as technical assistance on natural parks management, ecological transition, and plastics management. The Philippines expressed keen interest and looked forward to further engagement between the two countries. Secretary Loyzaga and Minister Bechu reaffirmed the long-standing relations of the Philippines and France and committed to support efforts to advance the partnership to a strategic level.
Secretary Loyzaga was joined in the meeting by Philippine Ambassador to Egypt H.E. Ezzedin Tago, Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh of the DENR, and Mr. Joel Hamann, Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion.
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27), is co-hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat and the Government of Egypt. This conference is the largest annual gathering focused on climate change. ###
