What Is the Commitment of the Philippines to the Paris Climate Agreement

The path to the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) began in the Philippines when the Manila Call to Action on Climate Change was launched during President François Hollande`s French state visit to the Philippines in February 2015. This appeal to the international community symbolized our shared commitment to the fight against climate change. The road to Paris continued in Manila through our Climate Week in October 2015, where policymakers, artists, academics, civil society and the general public supported the conclusion of an ambitious, universal and legally binding agreement at COP21. As the Chief Climate Negotiator for the Philippines stated, “Thanks to the Paris Agreement, despite diversity and divergence, humanity has found common ground on which to build a common home firmly based on climate justice, human rights and ecosystem integrity.” “For work that we cannot complete in our time, we will pass it on to our young colleagues. After all, climate change is an intergenerational challenge that requires passing the baton of responsibility from one generation to the next,” de Guzman said. The Philippines` contribution to the positive outcome of COP21, as well as to the final ratification of the Paris Agreement by the Philippine government, is the result of the invaluable and collective efforts of the country`s climate advocates: Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Oversight Committee on Climate Change, whose advocacy for environmental protection and climate change is known locally and internationally, the Climate Commission, which is committed to fulfilling its mandate, and the many climate activists in civil society. We also recognize the commitment that past and present governments have shown in the fight against climate change. In addition, the Philippine Draft Energy Plan (PEP) provides for a much higher use of solar energy compared to the National Renewable Energy Program. A number of reforms are underway to create a more competitive electricity market that favours renewable energy. The introduction of new rules for the renewable energy market, under which auctions for renewables will take place, and a split clause allowing utilities to restrict coal-fired electricity generation, will align national conditions of competition. At a glance, the NDC commits to a higher reduction contribution than the INDC. It also commits to an unconditional reduction in GHGs that is different from the fully conditional INDC. That is a positive point.

Surprisingly, however, the NDC is abandoning the forest sector to meet the country`s mitigation obligation. It runs counter to the fact that one of the measures needed to control the increase in greenhouse gas emissions is the preservation and improvement of greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs, including the important role of forests as carbon sinks and sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In its Special Report on Climate Change and Land, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified forestry and other land uses as a significant net source of greenhouse gas emissions. At a time when America`s commitment to fighting climate change is being called into question – especially international support for the most vulnerable nations – it is more important than ever to recognize our shared moral obligation. We have a responsibility to ensure that future generations inherit a planet worth living on. For this reason, President Duterte`s decision to reverse his opposition to the Paris Agreement is a welcome development. When it comes to fighting climate change, even skeptics have to come at some point. The Philippines` decision to accede to the Paris Agreement should be a wake-up call for countries that have not yet acceded to the Agreement. Despite a president who initially rejected the Paris Agreement, the country has now shown a firm commitment to the agreement.

After President Duterte took office, he called the deal “stupid.” When an ambassador from an industrialized country reminded him of the Philippines` new climate commitments, Duterte said he “wanted to kick it” because it was hypocritical for a high-emitting industrialized country to lecture a less industrialized country about its greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, there are many climate change mitigation options related to land and forests that have a positive impact on climate change adaptation. Accordingly, the Paris Agreement explicitly recognizes the crucial role of forests in achieving its goals in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, as well as the role of conservation, sustainable forest management and improvement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD-plus). Without the forest sector, however, the Philippine contribution to mitigation is weakened by its inexplicable absence from the NDC. This alone could reduce emissions by around 60 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2030 compared to our current policy scenario, equivalent to a reduction of 32% to 35%. These emission reductions have been quantified using independent projections that do not necessarily reflect government plans for the introduction of renewable sources, but reflect the maximum impact of the policy – including the possibility of political spillover effects (Ahmed and Brown, 2020). Minister De Guzman added that the Philippines would continue to address the following concerns of developing countries: financial resources would be made available, including for technological development, transfer and dissemination, and capacity-building; Developed countries have clear programmes for implementation; Clarity and acceptance of the timing of programmes designed to enable developing countries such as the Philippines to strengthen their national capacities to avoid future generations of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and survive the increasing impacts of climate change through forward-looking adaptation. Breaking down the target, 72.29% depend on support for climate finance, technology and capacity building provided by developed countries, as required by the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement also recognizes that countries that contribute the least to global emissions are in most cases the most exposed to climate impacts. The Philippines falls into this category because the country produces only 0.3% of the world`s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, the agreement commits developed countries, which are also the world`s biggest polluters, to contribute funds that can draw from the most vulnerable countries to finance their necessary mitigation and adaptation efforts. The target amount of these funds is $100 billion per year, a target that has not yet been met; In 2019, developed countries contributed $79 billion. However, many outstanding questions about the moratorium still need to be clarified. The projects that would fall under the moratorium have not yet been defined. In addition, the Philippines needs to adapt the PEP to its recent announcements. Adding the moratorium to policy documents such as pep and NDC would demonstrate the country`s commitment to advancing “the transition from fossil fuel use to cleaner energy sources.” After two weeks of negotiations, the “Paris Regulation” was adopted by all member countries at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 24). .