The Climate Change Commission (CCC) highlights the role of climate-smart investments in transforming the healthcare sector into a more efficient, resilient, and equitable system, supporting the country’s public health.

PASIG CITY — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) supports the initiative of the Department of Health (DOH) on health sector emissions accounting, which underscores the critical link between climate change and public health, during the launch of the Philippine Health System Integrated National Accounting of Greenhouse Gases (PH-SINAG).

The DOH PH-SINAG emphasizes the importance of integrating emissions reduction and adaptation with the health sector while strengthening service delivery.
 

In his message, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje noted that the healthcare sector, which accounts for around 5.6 percent of national emissions, is both a contributor to and a frontline responder to climate change impacts and a critical platform for the country’s climate action.

“The health system may not always sit in the foreground of mitigation discussions. But it is clearly a major cross-sector implementation platform, with relevance to energy, transport, waste, buildings, procurement, and public expenditure,” Borje said.

The Commission underscored that climate-informed health systems are essential to reduce vulnerabilities, minimize asset loss, and ensure continuity of care amid increasing climate risks such as extreme heat, flooding, and stronger typhoons, referring to the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

The CCC emphasized that PH-SINAG provides a specific and decision-useful baseline, enabling the emissions within the sector to be more visible and measurable while also enabling institutions to better integrate climate plans into core health system functions.

“The task now is not simply to acknowledge emissions. It is to institutionalize the response into planning and budgeting, procurement and infrastructure decisions, facility operations and performance management,” Borje emphasized.

PH-SINAG is the first comprehensive, system-wide greenhouse gas emissions baseline for the Philippine health system. Its report addresses the critical gap by providing the evidence base needed to formally anchor the health sector into the Philippines’ climate commitments.

Department of Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa acknowledged the growing strain of climate risks on health systems, citing the impacts of extreme weather events, flooding, extreme heat, and pollution on both health outcomes and service delivery.

He also underscored PH-SINAG as a critical foundation for identifying emission sources and guiding strategic investments in sustainable and resilient healthcare systems.

“This initiative supports the broader goal of integrating health into the national climate commitments and strengthening interagency collaboration for sustainable development. More importantly, this event builds a shared commitment across sectors, promising sustainable health facilities and initiating a roadmap for decarbonization through energy transition, digital solutions, and green procurement,” Herbosa said.

The PH-SINAG aims to institutionalize a climate-informed approach to the country’s healthcare system that translates data into action, strengthens resilience, and delivers wider public value.

The CCC further highlighted that the initiative strengthens the country’s broader climate architecture by improving measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, and reinforcing monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) across the sector.

The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to working with partners to ensure that PH-SINAG evolves from an analytical milestone into a durable instrument for evidence-based planning and accountable implementation, supporting a climate-resilient and people-centered health system.