To our partners in the development organizations and the private sector, as well as our NGO community, members of the diplomatic corps that are here represented today, colleagues in government,

Good morning to everyone.

I thank you for being here on this rainy day. I know that this is a very complex and probably a very long-running discussion we’ll ensue because of the way all of our sectors are inextricably linked to what we are calling the Just Transition Program for the country. So, today we reflect on both opportunities and challenges of the transition with the goal of charting a shared course forward in terms of our own low-carbon development. We all know this for a fact.

Global carbon dioxide emissions alone are 182 times higher compared to emissions level in 1850 when, of course, the Industrial Revolution started.

Our President no less has emphasized in his 2023 State of the Nation Address that the economic agenda of our country cannot and will never be incompatible with our climate change agenda.

And therefore as our country undertakes an economic and social transformation, we need to in fact take a quick look and perhaps a very long discussion on what that means in terms of job creation, acceleration of poverty reduction, and all the goals of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, and recognize the urgency in terms of addressing the complex and far-reaching impacts of climate change and the transitions that are required on our country and the people.

While the challenges are substantial, they also present opportunities for innovation and resilience. So, I thank the ADB for actually taking up this challenge in terms of opening up the discussion across different stakeholder groups and sectors. The scientific consensus underscores the need for decisive action to limit global warming to 1.5°C, and this demands a transformative shift across key sectors—energy, transportation, agriculture, and industry – to name just the first ones. Managing this transition equitably is vital to ensure that progress in sustainability and resilience supports, rather than hinders, our goals of reducing poverty, creating jobs, improving the quality of life of our communities, preserving our environment, and building a more inclusive economy.

Our country’s climate response – through our National Adaptation Plan, our Nationally Determined Contributions, and other policies – requires a shift away from carbon-intensive industries that have long provided livelihoods for many people. Thus, it is essential that our strategies must promote a just transition across sectors, scales, geographies that would lead to the best outcomes for our own communities, our workforce, and the environment as a whole.

While we are advocating the just transition and the mandate to actually reduce our emissions, I wish to underscore here that adaptation remains an urgent need for our country and so when we look at this issue, in particular, we must keep in mind that adaptation and mitigation are linked and disaster risk reduction is linked, as well.

In the Philippines, we have completed the 2020 greenhouse gas inventory and are working now on what we will be reporting in 2025. The inventory helps us determine where our emissions are coming from and which sources we could prioritize to identify mitigation strategies. Those come with a cost. The results show that energy and transport are the top contributors to our emissions, accounting for 56% into total. Recognizing this, we have identified both sectors as key areas for our just transition initiative but by no means should we leave the other sectors out.

Our goal is to create pathways that takes into account our environment, and the needs of our workers, and communities while unlocking opportunities by creating new, decent blue and green jobs, increasing the quality of life of our communities by increasing their access to essential services and social protection, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Philippine economy.

To achieve this, our strategies must encompass key considerations:

Firstly, Socio-economic development. Our socioeconomic development should not be detrimental to achieving our development needs and priorities including poverty alleviation. We need to put in place innovative social protection mechanisms and safety nets to keep families away from and break away from vicious cycle of poverty;

Secondly, Environmental protection and conservation of our ecosystems and responsible resource development. We cannot achieve development in a degraded environment. Our ecosystems deserve protection because our lives actually depend on them. These natural resources should be conserved and enhanced to ensure that they are able to provide the necessary resources but still continue to function healthy in order to support our food, water, and energy security needs and our development goals;

Thirdly, we need to work on skills development, reskilling, and upskilling of our workforce. The transition should focus not only on minimizing the negative impacts on affected sectors but also on equipping our workforce with the necessary skills for emerging opportunities in fields such as renewable energy and other climate-friendly technologies areas.

Here, I wish to stress in particular the workforce that is involved in our global seafaring industry: We need to in fact have a very focused and direct approach to that particular sector as well as the construction, engineering, and other industries that will require a shift in terms of their own design, standards, as well as materials assumption.

Embedding skills development across education is key—at both basic and university levels but also for vocational training, where we need to in fact put in place credential and certificate professional programs for skills and traits that are related to this transition. This will be key in optimizing what our human resources are in the country in terms of being adaptable, prepared, and agile in order to actually take part in the transition. (I hope that’s a good sign.)

Fourthly, in industrial potential. We need to explore the potential for new industries that can emerge from this transition and provide support to conventional industries to move away and decarbonize. This is quite critical in terms of achieving our goals. Here, I want to raise to renewable energy sector, again, sustainable forestry and agriculture, solid waste management, and other sectors that will emerge as key to decarbonization – Innovative financial mechanisms must also be directed toward MSMEs to Nano type entrepreneurial and household scale businesses to manage the costs of transitioning to greener and more sustainable business practices without risking their livelihood or workforce.

Here in particular, I wish to highlight how many talyers we know are functioning in the different neighborhood that we live in. These talyers are geared towards a specific type of engineering solutions to our transport. How will these particular businesses survive in the transition?
Fifth, the energy security, access, and affordability that we need in order to continue our development. As a primary sector for mitigation strategies, the transition must also ensure that our energy needs are met securely and affordably across all sectors.

Sixth, sustainable transport. Addressing the transition challenges and opportunities within the transport sector are key for both mass transport and private transport as well.

Key government agencies have been identified to spearhead the development of the Just Transition. When the ADB first approached the DENR to actually lead this work, we actually insisted that we include the DOLE, the DOTr, and the CCC of course but we feel actually the need to include the NEDA, the DTI, and TESDA in order to ensure that we are covering all bases in terms of the needs of this complex transition.

Our government is dedicated to ensuring a participatory and inclusive approach in shaping this agenda. So, I’ve had personal conversations with the different secretaries as well as Secretary Kiko Benitez of TESDA in order to see how we can all work constructively together.

In the coming months, we will be conducting cluster consultations across different sectors, regions, and industries. This means involving all stakeholders, from government to civil society organizations, vulnerable groups, labor and trade unions, businesses, and communities. I am very pleased that all of you have made time to join us this morning. I’m afraid I have to leave you shortly in to actually attend to a sectoral meeting in Malacanang, also related to our transition on energy.

These consultations will help us better understand the specific challenges, priorities, and opportunities of a Just Transition in different contexts and spaces in which we all live.

The outcomes of these dialogues, along with the results of various assessments and analyses that will be undertaken in the next few months, will inform the development of a National Just Transition Framework — a guiding document that provides us with a clear directiona ensures coherence and collaboration among stakeholders and promotes equity and fairness in the country.

So, as the process progresses, I hope you will continue to join us and invite other colleagues of yours to join this discussion. I really encourage all of you to participate in this forum despite the rain and the noise that it provides and share your ideas, let’s ask questions of each other, and let’s challenge all of us to think differently in other people, sectors, and spaces, as well.

Maraming Salamat, and thank you very much again for coming today.