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This year, the government increased its efforts to create climate resilience in communities around the country and address climate change to better safeguard the environment, people, and property.

The Philippines’ first nationally determined contribution (NDC), which comprises targeted reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country, was eventually submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in April.

This demonstrated the Philippines’ commitment, as a UNFCCC party, to assist in the achievement of the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rise through global GHG emission reductions so that the Earth can avoid severe climate change.

The Philippine government also renewed its request for climate justice and developed countries’ financial and technical support for developing country climate efforts during the UN’s 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Scotland in November.

In addition, the government reorganized the National Panel of Technical Experts (NPTE) of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) with the goal of developing recommendations for implementing local climate change adaptation and mitigation measures that will help communities become more resilient.

In his message for the country’s annual Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week in 2021, Department of Finance (DOF) Sec. and CCC Chairperson-designate Carlos Dominguez III also said, “We have drawn up a Sustainable Finance Roadmap to help orchestrate public and private sector efforts to green our economy.”

He emphasized the importance of taking action, saying that climate change is a “war we cannot afford to lose.”

He said the destruction wrought by the onslaught of extreme weather events had already shown what inaction on climate change can lead to.

Various human activities, such as fossil fuel-based power generation, are among the sources of GHG emissions, according to scientists.

They claim that GHG emissions continue to build up in the atmosphere, trapping heat, resulting in rising global temperatures and climate change.

The NPTE identified rising sea levels, coastal erosion, flooding, increased frequency and severity of tropical cyclones, extreme drought, temperature increase and rising urban heat index, extreme rainfall, climate-influenced diseases, wind patterns, and biodiversity loss as the Philippines’ top climate-induced risks, according to the DOF.

The NPTE also proposed a number of methods for coping with such threats, according to the report.

Conducting nationwide climate and health impact studies, as well as incorporating climate funding in LGU investment and development plans, are two examples, according to the DOF.

According to experts, the Philippines contributes less than 1% of global GHG emissions, making it a minor contributor to these pollutants.

However, the Philippines’ NDC still commits to reducing and avoiding GHG emissions by 75 percent nationally by 2030 in the agricultural, waste, industrial, transportation, and energy sectors.

According to the administration, 2.71 percent of the target would be met mostly through domestic resources.

The remaining 72.29 percent of the aim, according to the government, is conditional or dependant on developed countries providing climate financing, technologies, and capacity development in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

“We expect wealthy countries, which historically have exacerbated the global climate problem, to fulfill their Paris Agreement commitments at the appropriate speed and size to keep the global average temperature from exceeding the 1.5 degree Celsius survival barrier,” Dominguez added.

He sees the current period, from now until 2030, as “important,” stressing that it is an opportunity to pursue low-carbon and resilient growth, as well as other climate measures, that will assure Earth’s well-being “before it’s too late.”

Dominguez led the Philippine delegation to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26).

He noted that the Philippines is “very reliant” on international financial assistance for capacity-building and technological transfers, which are required for climate-related projects.

“”We hope that this COP26 will result in meaningful action and that monies to assist countries will begin to flow,” he said at the meeting.

Climate finance could include grants for capacity-building, high-yield investments in green initiatives, and subsidies to cover the financial costs and risks of communities transitioning to a climate-resilient economy, he said.

He claims that the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank can collaborate on climate change and green components of their loans.

The Philippines’ need for international financial assistance isn’t stopping them from implementing locally supported, feasible climate action, according to Dominguez.

“We recognize that we are one of the most susceptible countries to climate change, and we have opted to act unilaterally, rather than waiting for international climate agreements,” he said.

Various local projects worth PHP310 million have already received funding support from the government’s People’s Survival Fund, according to the CCC (PSF).

In 2012, Republic Act (RA) 10174 was passed, modifying RA 9729 (Climate Change Act of 2009) and establishing the Philippine Climate Change Adaptation Fund (PSF) to assist LGUs and qualified local/community organizations in implementing climate change adaptation projects around the country.

According to CCC, which is a member of the board that administers PSF, these programs are aimed at assisting disadvantaged communities in dealing with the changing climate.

According to Dominguez, the government reformed the NPTE so that the present members are Filipino professionals who can help support practical climate action on the ground.

“We are no longer in the business of developing a big climate change hypothesis. Science has amassed sufficient proof of what is occurring and what all of mankind must do to halt the cataclysmic course of global warming. We’re currently working on concrete projects and programs to strengthen our communities’ resilience, reverse environmental damage, and safeguard our essential food sources “The finance director stated.

“What was once a global issue must now be tackled locally. What was once only theoretical now needs to be put into practice on the ground. We will not be stopped by a red light on our way to a better future. We’ve gathered brilliant minds to ensure that our race for the survival of our planet is well-coordinated, concerted, and compelling “Added he.

The Philippine Sustainable Finance Roadmap, which is based on three strategic pillars, was created to encourage public and private investment in green projects around the country.

Policy (creating a favorable climate), funding (mainstreaming sustainable finance), and investment (building a sustainable pipeline) are the three pillars, according to DOF.

According to DOF, a collection of guiding principles serves as a taxonomy for the country’s sustainable finance ecosystem.

“The roadmap and its guiding principles are expected to stimulate investments from a variety of finance sources to support the country’s NDC and long-term priorities,” according to the Department of Finance.

According to Dominguez, the Philippines has also opted to participate in the ADB’s Energy Transition Mechanism, a public-private funding institution aimed at assisting nations in their transition to a clean energy future.

He said that retiring high-emission coal-fired power stations and replacing them with renewable-energy-based facilities will assist speed up the shift.

“The time for argument and merely discussing climate change ideas are passed; today, we are focusing on practical solutions and programs to reduce GHG emissions swiftly,” he stated.

Dominguez introduced members of the reconstituted NPTE to the public in October.

He stated that they are experts in environmental planning and engineering. Dr. Jihan H. Adil, an agricultural engineer from Zamboanga City, and Dr. Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, chemical engineer and waste management specialist from Mariano Marcos State University’s College of Engineering. Tacloban City native Dr. Zenaida L. Andrade is an expert in biological oceanography, coastal ecology, and fisheries. Dr. Wilfredo L. Campos of Iloilo province; Dr. Gay D. Defiesta of Iloilo province; Dr. Ramon Lorenzo of Iloilo province; Dr. Wilfredo L. Campos of Iloilo province; Dr. Wilfredo L. Campos of Iloilo province; Dr. Wilfredo L. Campos of Iloilo province; Dr. Wilfredo L. Campos of Dr. Eduardo O. Mangaoang of Leyte, upland, lowland, and coastal forest landscape restoration and conservation specialist Luis R. Guinto of Laguna province, and fisheries and mangroves expert Dr. Jimmy T. Masagca of Leyte.

Dr. Susan P. Mercado, a public health and food security expert; Dr. Richard N. Muallil, a marine scientist and coastal resource management specialist from Tawi-Tawi province; Dr. Emma E. Porio, a climate and disaster resilience expert from Quezon City; Dr. Patricia Ann J. Sanchez, a disaster risk management and water resource assessment specialist from Iloilo; and geodetic engineer and Caraga State University College of Engineering and Geosciences Dean He went on to include Dr. Maria Angela G. Zafra of Davao City, as well as Dr. Doracie B. Zoleta-Nantes of Quezon province, who specializes in geography, hazards research, and extreme weather occurrences.

“I am glad to announce that we have assembled a high-caliber team of Filipino professionals from a variety of fields and backgrounds,” he stated.

According to him, the current makeup of the NPTE does not just reflect a shift in the organization’s membership.

The new make-up of the NPTE “reflects a paradigm shift in our efforts to combat climate change’s effects,” he added.

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