July 25, 2016 10:24 pm by James Konstantin Galvez
Despite President
Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier pronouncement that the Philippines will not honor
climate change commitments it made under the Paris agreement, Climate Change
Commission Vice Chairperson Heherson Alvarez stressed that the deal will be a
powerful pillar towards the administration’s industrialization goal.
The Philippines was
among 195 nations that pledged last December in Paris to cut down carbon
emissions to contain global warming to below two degrees Celsius.
The deal comes into
force when 55 countries covering 55 percent of global emissions formally join.
The Philippines accounts for less than 1 percent of the world’s emissions, and
has yet to ratify the deal.
Duterte has said that
he will not honor the international climate pact, stressing that it would
stifle the country’s development. The new administration earlier bared plans to
create industrial zones all over the country to usher the Philippines into “a
golden era of development.”
The president, however,
despite his skepticism, called on Congress to provide him with a clear
understanding of the treaty.
Alvarez, who is also a
former secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said
that the Paris Agreement would be a powerful pillar towards the Duterte goal –
a strongly industrialized but healthy nation.
“Ultimately, its
impacts would allow Filipinos to study, live, work and enjoy cleaner cities
with a healthier environment,” he said.
“The challenge is to
pursue massive industrialization while simultaneously protecting our people –
the Philippines being identified as the most vulnerable country in the world –
from the disastrous impacts of climate change most especially the threatened
sectors that have significantly contributed to the growth of our
economy—agriculture, industry, the environment and our people,” he added.
Alvarez explained that
the climate change pact works on the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities (CBDR). The premise is that all nations, whether developed or
developing, large or small, emit varying amounts of greenhouse gases. Different
countries would therefore take on different kinds of actions to reduce
emissions based on their capabilities and their current economic circumstances.
Anchored on the CBDR
principle, honoring the Paris Agreement is both a moral and legal obligation of
all 197 member nations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) of which the Philippines is a member, Alvarez said.
“This principle compels
us to share in the upkeep of the United Nations, the same principle why every
Filipino who earns an income pays taxes, in varying percentages based on their
rate of income, to support the government. Our country will be most comfortable
with this principle because it largely reflects the ‘bayanihan’ spirit in the
Filipino culture,” he said.
The Philippines has
long been engaged in a wide variety of mitigation programs to reduce CO2
emissions, including solid waste management, reforestation, air pollution
reduction – in our energy, transport, industry, and agriculture sectors – and
imposing new standards and green technologies in the building sector.
Alvarez said that the
low carbon program is an essential strategy for stimulating the economy,
creating more jobs and moving us rapidly to a clean energy future. He added
that investments towards reduced CO2 emissions would spur growth in a broad
range of manufacturing sectors and environmental services, as has already been
experienced by countries that pursue massive renewable energy investments.
The Philippines is
fortunately abundant in alternative energy, including solar, wind, hydro, and
especially geothermal. The country is the second biggest producer of geothermal
in the world.
“We are near the
equator where the solar radiance is consistent and most powerful. We have all
the opportunity to tap and deploy abundant, readily available, cheap,
alternative energy,” he said.
“Coal seems to be the
cheapest energy source in the market. However, once the externalities of coal
are factored in — such as the costs of pollution and healthcare — the price of
coal would be extremely high and uneconomic,” he added.
In fact, Alvarez said
that there is a cry now to price carbon appropriately, apply corresponding
taxes, and remove subsidy that makes carbon artificially cheap all over the
world.
“We should be
transparent and candid about the terrible burdens that coal imposes on our
environment and the health of our people, especially the poor who are the most
vulnerable. It will be the morally right thing to do,” he said.
“We must help shape the
policy instruments to overcome the barriers. Government should provide
benchmarks and incentives for industries, schedules of renewable energy coming
into stream, and proactive policies to promote new technology and green growth.
It will also be essential to mobilize public and private financial resources to
cut emissions without undermining the country’s economic growth,” he added.
The Philippines
commitment of a 70 percent emission reduction is conditioned on financing
resources, technology development and transfer, and capacity building. The 70
percent commitment will be a slow transition up to the year 2030. All INDC of
the 197 nations signatory to the Agreement will be subjected for review every
five (5) years and will be continuously updated, depending on economic growth
and development.
The Paris agreement
makes clear that developed countries will continue to provide and mobilize the
UN Green Climate Fund to support developing countries, with developed countries
agreeing to continue their 2020 commitment of mobilizing $100 billion a year,
at least until 2025.
“The Philippines should
be able to tap this fund as a vital component to help us with our
industrialization. Honoring our commitment will send the right signals to the
international community engaged in technological and financial support systems
that we are committed to cooperate for the welfare of the global community,” he
said.
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