Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 30) – The Philippines at the 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) will urge developed nations to fulfill their climate commitments to developing countries and gather support for the government’s initiatives, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga will head the Philippine delegation, representing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is chairperson designate of the Climate Change Commission.
Marcos said he will not attend the conference in order to focus on the situation of 17 hostaged Filipino seafarers in the Red Sea.
READ: Marcos cancels COP28 trip amid ‘developments’ involving 17 hostaged PH sailors
“Our participation in COP28 seeks to amplify calls for developed nations to fulfill their commitments to developing countries in the areas of climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building,” Loyzaga said Thursday.
“Moreover, our exposure internationally will open opportunities for access to financial and technical support that we need as a country vulnerable to climate change.”
One such commitment is the development of a “Loss and Damage Fund” for countries hard-hit by climate change, which developed nations will be tapped to fund.
In the Philippines, this would mean financing for social development and resilient infrastructure.
Loyzaga said the fund would be essential for the country due to rapid sea level rise and widespread destruction by super typhoons such as Yolanda and Odette.
“The cost of really trying to recoup and recover from this is way beyond what we are able to afford as a country,” she said.
Aside from the fund, the Philippines will work on six other major negotiating work streams at COP28: climate finance; adaptation; the conclusion of the “Global Stocktake (GST)”; the transition and upskilling of labor to a renewable energy future; and mitigation and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and avoidance.
The GST under the Paris Agreement refers to the assessment of how far the world has come in combating climate change. It is the first of its kind and governments are expected to come up with a decision on the assessment at the COP28.
