The Philippines, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), renewed its partnership with the United Kingdom (UK) through the British Embassy Manila on climate and environment during the 3rd UK-PH Climate Change and Environment Dialogue on April 13 in Quezon City.
The Dialogue culminated in the signing of a renewed Partnership Agreement on Climate Change and Environment led by DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga and British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils.
The Agreement lays the groundwork for deeper collaboration between the Philippines and the United Kingdom towards enhancing climate resilience, driving down global emissions, and protecting and restoring the environment.
Moreover, both countries committed to working together to deliver shared priority objectives: enhancing the resilience of respective economies, ecosystems and communities; accelerating clean energy transition; mobilizing climate finance; and driving inclusive, cross-sectoral collaboration to achieve these goals.
“One of our takeaways from COP27, UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, and the UN Water Conference is the need for a comprehensive climate and disaster risk assessment to de-risk investment and accelerate action towards both green and blue economic development. By taking all hazards and climate change as risk drivers, countries such as the Philippines have the opportunity to address urgent and specific challenges across sectors and scales. We are fortunate to have partners such as the UK for having invested in this vision. We have a shared understanding that the last mile – our communities and ecosystems that support them – need to be the first mile in terms of investment, impact-based early warning, and environmental protection,” said Loyzaga.
Under Loyzaga’s leadership, the DENR has committed to being at the forefront of climate action through its mandate of conserving, protecting, managing, restoring, and regenerating the country’s environment and natural resources.
British Ambassador to the Philippines Beaufils expressed her appreciation to the Government of the Philippines for its ongoing proactivity and cooperation in the climate and environment space.
“We are delighted to be working with the Philippines both bilaterally and as part of the international community to keep 1.5 degrees within reach, to build resilience to current and future climate impacts, and to halt and reverse nature loss. Addressing these challenges is not just a public good – it will drive investment, innovation, and empower communities across the Philippines. I welcome the whole-of-government approach adopted by the Philippines and look forward to further collaboration over the next 12 months and beyond,” Beaufils said.
The UK is an active leader in working towards net-zero and remains committed to supporting efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees; increasing access to climate finance through both the public and private sectors; and ensuring the international system works for climate vulnerable countries like the Philippines.
The PH-UK Dialogue demonstrates the extensive cross-government and cross-sectoral conversations and strong policy direction on the climate and environment agenda under this administration.
Officials from the DENR, Climate Change Commission, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Finance, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Energy, Department of Science and Technology, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, National Economic and Development Authority, the Public-Private Partnership Center, Securities and Exchange Commission, and UK Government representatives shared their interventions during the Dialogue. ###