Quezon City, Philippines – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) joined government and development partners in the kick off workshop for Transformative Actions for Climate and Ecological Protection and Development (TRANSCEND) Project in the aim to accelerate progress towards climate resilience. Supported by the Federal Republic of Germany, the TRANSCEND Project will forge collaborations between governments, civil society and the private sector to attain transformational change in the areas of climate governance, biodiversity conservation, ecosystems resilience, transport, and energy. "Aligned with the thrust of the German government, this Project will drive concrete results on adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity protection, catering to the specific needs and priorities of the Philippines," First Secretary Alexander Schmidt of the German Embassy Manila said. As the lead policy-making body of the Philippine government on climate change, the CCC provided convergence points of the Project in line with the country’s climate action agenda. “To adequately address the impacts of climate change, we must strengthen our collective capacities to effectively and efficiently deliver our work. Collaborative partnerships with development partners in the international community and the business sector are key to our success,” said Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje. Jerome Ilagan, Chief of CCC’s Policy and Research and Development Division, highlighted the opportunity for the Project to employ the concept of "Build Right at First Sight" using the best available science and technologies and aligned with the Nationally Determined Contribution. During the project’s kick-off workshop, Alexis Lapiz, Chief of CCC’s Strategic Partnership Division, recognized the support provided by the German Government and the vision of TRANSCEND to foster a whole-of-government approach in pursuing climate actions. "This mechanism is clearly demonstrated by the Project, which provides an enabling environment for government and non-government actors to join forces and reach significant strides towards advancing the country’s climate change and sustainable development agenda," said Lapiz. With grant funding of EUR 36.8 million, the Project will be spearheaded by a consortium of development partners and research institutions in partnership with various national government agencies.
MANILA, Philippines — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) supports the Executive Order on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028, as part of the whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach toward achieving climate resilience and sustainable development. The National Economic and Development Authority formally launched the PDP 2023-2028 through Executive Order (EO) No. 14, s. 2023, signed by President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on 30 January 2023 during the "From Plan to Action: PDP 2023-2028 Forum." The PDP 2023–2028 is a plan for deep economic and social transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on a high-growth path. This growth must be inclusive, building an environment that provides equal opportunities to all Filipinos, and equipping them with skills to participate fully in an innovative and globally competitive economy. President Marcos said that the PDP 2023-2028 "will set the Philippines towards becoming an upper-middle income country by the year 2025. But beyond economic development, the Plan also focuses on social development and protection, disaster resilience, digital transformation, and many other things." Under Part IV: Enabling Environment, Chapter 15 of the PDP identifies the goal for communities, institutions, and natural and built environments to be "more resilient to the impacts of natural hazards and climate change" by 2028. To achieve this objective, this chapter identified three strategies: increasing the climate and disaster risk resilience of communities and institutions; enhancing ecosystem resilience; and enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy. The CCC is part of the Planning Committee that developed the Chapter on Accelerate Climate Action and Strengthen Disaster Resilience. The Commission provided relevant climate information, i.e., climate budget tagging data, Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) compliance, and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) information. For its part, the CCC will continue its efforts to strengthen its programs to elevate and strengthen the country’s climate agenda. Under the Climate Change Expenditure Tagging, PHP 458.66 billion was tagged for climate related programs for fiscal year (FY) 2023. This is 58.30% higher than the 2022 climate budget of PHP 289.73 billion. LCCAP submissions climbed from 715 at the end of 2021 to 1,397 at the end of 2022. The CCC targets to have 100% compliance from 1,715 LGUs by FY 2024. The NDC calls for the systematic integration of climate change adaptation and mitigation in various phases of policy formulation and development plans, specifically in the sectors of agriculture, waste, industry, transportation, forestry, and energy sectors based on available science and technology. The CCC will continue to engage all stakeholders concerned in the NDC implementation, updating, and monitoring and review processes. To support and operationalize the PDP, the CCC is updating the National Climate Change Action Plan and the NDC, strengthening the implementation of the National Climate Risk Management Framework (NCRMF), and developing the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), in promoting the Commission’s goal of a climate-resilient and climate-smart Philippines. For updates and information on the work of the Commission, visit the official website http://www.climate.gov.ph.
MANILA, Philippines, 29 March 2023 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) joins the United Nations Development Programme-Philippines (UNDP Philippines) in launching a project on accelerating private climate finance for nature-based solutions. The CCC expressed its support for the UNDP-Philippines project, "Accelerating Green and Climate Finance in the Philippines: Nature-Based Solutions," aimed to increase private sector investments in gender-responsive, nature-based solutions in support of a just transition to resilient and low emission development. "We recognize the immense value in nature-based solutions, but increased financing, especially from the private sector, must flow in for nature-based projects and programs—and more urgently, considering the rate of destruction of our natural wealth from climate impacts and other factors," said CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera. She also emphasized the potential of nature-based solutions to enhance adaptive capacities against climate impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) (DENR) Secretary and the President’s Representative to the CCC, Ma. Antonio Yulo-Loyzaga, highlighted the ongoing work by the DENR to support nature-based solutions to climate change, specifically in forest protection, watershed and wetland management, and restoration and protection of marine and coastal resources. “We have a challenging task ahead, but we're optimistic that we can deliver a lasting impact on our communities and on our country as a whole. We are, therefore, partners with you in fostering this new effort and working with key stakeholders to unlock financing for climate and disaster resilience,” Secretary Yulo-Loyzaga added. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno explained that the Department of Finance has built a sustainable finance ecosystem to synergize public and private investments in green projects, and that its roadmap sets the guiding principles that will create an environment for greater policies in the Philippines. “There is a strong appetite for green investments among the investment community, and we are keen on strengthening our policies on climate financing to complement its wide array of initiatives. We launched today a unique project that offers gender-responsive, nature-based solutions for climate-resilient technologies, practices, and approaches,” Secretary Diokno said. Dr. Selva Ramachandran, Resident Representative of the UNDP, explained that the “initiative recognizes the big task of bringing nature-based solutions at the very core of public and private sector investments and decision-making processes,” and that it aims to contribute “to seeing the results of nature-based solutions for climate through public-private partnership.” Funded by the Government of Canada, the project will be implemented by DOF, CCC, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission Philippines, and Public-Private Partnership Center. The project’s implementation period is from 2022 to 2025. Consistent with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the project seeks to contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the achievement of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution, the Philippines Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, and other related policies and programmes. It also aims to enhance resilience and environmental security for Filipino women and vulnerable communities in the Philippines.
MANILA, 28 March 2023 — The Climate Change Commission PH convened the Philippine Greenhouse Gas Inventory Management and Reporting System (PGHGIMRS) lead agencies to finalize the 2015 and 2020 National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory. Under Executive Order No. 174 series of 2014, the PGHGIMRS is created to develop the GHG inventory management and reporting system among relevant government agencies to enable the country to transition toward a climate-resilient pathway for sustainable development. “Our sustained convergences like what we do today are instrumental in producing quality reports that are accurate, complete, and reflective of the prevailing national circumstances, as well as the needs and priorities of our focus sectors,” said CCC Deputy Executive Director Romell Antonio O. Cuenca. This year’s first quarterly meeting focused on the remaining steps to complete the 2015 and 2020 National GHG inventories. The Philippine National GHG Inventory Reports (NIRs) developed through a whole-of-government approach, provides evidences serving as basis of government’s climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. The 2015 and 2020 NIRs are scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2023. These NIRs will be part of the Government’s Biennial Update Report to be communicated to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change this year. The CCC-led PGHGIMRS meeting was attended by all member agencies: Department of Agriculture - Philippines, Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Energy Philippines, and Department of Transportation - Philippines. For more information on GHG Inventory and the Philippines’ NDC, visit https://climate.gov.ph and https://niccdies.climate.gov.ph/.
QUEZON CITY, 25 March 2023 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) joined this year’s #BiggestHourForEarth campaign to further raise awareness on the needed urgent and collective global climate action. The CCC took part in the main switch-off event at Quezon City Memorial Circle on March 25 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., spearheaded by the Quezon City Government and WWF-Philippines. CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director (VCED) Robert E.A. Borje shared that, ironically, “an hour of absence of light sheds a light on the collective need to address the climate crisis.” "By switching our lights off, we want to be a beacon for all and a signal to all. We want to tell the world that we need to act for our country and our world in the face of climate change," VCED Borje emphasized. In addition to raising awareness on climate change, Earth Hour 2023 also aimed to promote energy conservation. In the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC, it is estimated that around 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the energy sector. In the Philippines, the energy sector accounts for 55% of the domestic emissions, with household and commercial energy consumption ranking as the second and fourth highest demand based on the latest National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, respectively. To respond to the growing emissions, the National Climate Change Action Plan includes ‘sustainable energy’ as among its thematic priorities with the aim of promoting and implementing energy efficiency and conservation measures. VCED Borje urged the public to take climate action beyond an hour and make it a part of their daily life. "Panahon lang ang maibibigay natin sa mundo, but the irony of it all, we do not have the luxury of time. Ang climate change ay nararamdaman natin and we need to act together. Tonight, our challenge is to act beyond one hour, at gawin natin ang lahat para ang isang oras na ito ay maging isang commitment at pagmamahal habambuhay, hindi lang isang oras," he concluded. Held annually, Earth Hour encourages Filipinos and citizens around the world to switch off non-essential lights for an hour to conserve energy and protect the planet. In a video message, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. expressed his support to the 2023 Earth Hour. “It only takes 60 minutes to do good for our future, 60 minutes to take notice and commit to saving Mother Nature, to be united and take action because together nothing is impossible,” said President Marcos. Earth Hour first took place as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. For its 16th year, the Earth Hour put a spotlight on the #BiggestHourForEarth to call on the need to address climate change. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and Climate Change Commission PH.
