DENR assures urgent work toward climate resilience amid IPCC report release
Climate resilient development needed as losses and damage will continue to increase into the future putting the most vulnerable people and ecosystems at risk, a report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report said released on March 20, 2023.
The Synthesis Report, which was approved during a week-long session, is the final installment of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. It integrates and summarizes the findings of the six reports published during the current cycle, which began in 2015.
The Philippine Delegation to the plenary session was led by Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and supported by Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera from the Climate Change Commission and Dr. Faye Abigail T. Cruz, Head of the Regional Climate Systems Laboratory of the Manila Observatory and IPCC Contributing Author for the Working Group I of the Sixth Assessment Report.
“Every fraction of degree counts and we are in no position to waste time. The Synthesis Report will be crucial in shaping evidence-informed decisions and actions, particularly for developing and vulnerable countries,” DENR Undersecretary Rebuelta-Teh said, reading the statement from DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, who represents President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to the Climate Change Commission.
The report highlighted the need to accelerate action to adapt to climate change in closing the gap between the existing adaptation, and what is further needed in the future. To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the report stated that deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will be required across all sectors.
“We reiterate the call for flexible and accessible means of implementation for adaptation, through climate finance, technologies, and country-driven technical assistance that reflects the need for local, context-specific and demand driven adaptation to address each country’s specific risk profile,” Undersecretary Rebuelta-Teh added.
During the week-long approval sessions, the Delegation, in its intervention, strongly supported the inclusion of emissions avoidance in the report as a recognition of risk-based and outcomes-based approaches to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the use of best available non-GHG emitting technologies. The Philippines also supported the inclusion of green and blue infrastructures which help in reducing risks from extreme weather events.
“We need fast and effective translation of the Synthesis Report to transformative climate actions in the country. With the ultimatum provided by the report, the DENR will continue to conscientiously work with various government agencies and stakeholders in building the resilience of our most vulnerable communities and ecosystems using science-based and data-driven ENR [environment and natural resources] policy and program interventions,” Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga of the DENR and the Chairperson-Designate of the Climate Change Commission said.
The IPCC plenary was attended by more than six hundred delegates from March 13-17, 2023 in Interlaken, Switzerland. ###
PH hosted UNFCCC’s needs-based climate finance training-workshop
The Philippines, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), hosted the Training-Workshop on Climate Finance Mobilization and Access for the ASEAN, as supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat on March 20-23, 2023 at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati.
Participated by representatives of the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the training workshop aimed to build the capacity and skills of the country representatives by providing them with information and tools in accessing and mobilizing climate finance to support their priority climate adaptation and mitigation needs.
The training workshop is a component of the Needs-based Finance (NBF) Project, which was established in response to the request by Country Parties to the UNFCCC to explore ways and means to assist developing country Parties in assessing their needs and priorities in a country-driven manner, including their technological needs, to translate climate finance needs into action.
“The needs-based framework should be designed with a regional perspective to engage regional and country actors to climate action,” Atty. Jonas R. Leones, DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs, noted during his welcome remarks.
The training workshop provided the platform to validate and refine the Climate Finance Access and Mobilization Strategy developed by the AMS that aims to provide the framework for AMS to improve access and benefit from climate finance mechanisms both internationally, regionally, and domestically. This strategy will provide the possible areas of collaboration among AMS.
During the 27th Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC in November 2022, DENR Secretary and Climate Change Commission Chairperson-Designate Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga emphasized the urgent need for ample and accessible climate financing to source funding for needed mitigation and adaptation measures, especially for vulnerable countries like the Philippines.
The training workshop was participated by experts of the NBF Project, operating entities of the Financial Mechanisms of the UNFCCC, United Nations agencies and bilateral, regional, and other multilateral channels, direct access entities, and representatives from the 10 AMS namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and representatives from various agencies of the Philippine national government. The Secretariats of the UNFCCC and ASEAN facilitated the training-workshop. ###
PH HOSTS FIRST WIM EXECOM MEETING AFTER HISTORIC UN CLIMATE ‘LOSS AND DAMAGE’ DEAL
In a historic first, the Philippines – through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – hosted the 18th Meeting of the Executive Committee (ExeCom) of the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) for Loss and Damage last February 28 in Makati City.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/3YHyRTH
Govt completes 16 resiliency road maps for climate-vulnerable provinces, cities
by Jonathan Mayuga | Business Mirror
The government has completed the resilience road maps for 16 vulnerable areas, which will serve as a guide in managing disaster risks and climate vulnerabilities in the Philippines.
The road maps and their corresponding investment portfolios for risk resilience (IPRR) are for 12 climate-vulnerable provinces and four major urban cities.
Baguio, QC, Ifugao native top DENR awards
by Bella Cariaso | The Manila Times
BAGUIO City, Ifugao province and Quezon City emerged as the top winners in climate and disaster resiliency recognition awards.
The disaster risk reduction and management offices of Baguio City and Quezon City, and an Ifugao native emerged as top winners in the climate and disaster resiliency recognition awards organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).