In celebration of the upcoming National Climate Change Consciousness Week (NCCCW), the Department of Environment and Natural Resource Climate Change Service (DENR-CCS) pushes through with its fully-loaded activities--most of it to be held virtually--from November 19 to 27, 2020, while the COVID-19 is still present in the country.

With this year’s theme “Adapting for a Sustainable Future”, this annual celebration aims to create awareness on global warming and climate change by pursuing broad and intensive public information and education campaigns to secure the cooperation of the private and public sector.

“The ongoing climate crisis and pandemic has brought profound effects and impacts in our society. Despite limitations, we want to utilize this week to encourage individual actions and convene the public and private sector to address this dual-threat and contribute towards green recovery”, said DENR Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems and Climate Change Analiza Rebuelta-Teh.

Upcoming events open for the public include the webinar on Turning Digital Innovation into Climate Actions on November 19 (9 am to 12 nn); Ang Tinig Klima Special Radio Episode on DZXL on November 20 (3 pm to 4 pm) will tackle Peatlands Conservation, and Climate Change, and a webinar on Resilient Rivers, Resilient Communities on November 23 (1 pm to 5 pm).

Interested individuals who want to attend said events can visit the DENR-CCS’ Facebook page at https://facebook.com/DENRCCS.

“Through these activities, we aim to strengthen DENR’s partnership with the private sector in addressing climate change, especially through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) which is what is vital in these times”, added Rebuelta-Teh.

The DENR, through its CCS  and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) will also be conducting several webinars with targeted attendees from the DENR and EMB Central and Regional offices, government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the academe. These are: Re-tooling on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation webinar on November 19 (1 pm to 4 pm); Gender-Responsive Climate Policy webinar on November 20 (1pm to 4 pm); Climate Change and Human Security webinar on November 24 (1 pm to 4 pm); Climate Change with International NGO Clean Air Asia webinar on November 25 (9 am to 12 nn); and Climate Change Adaptation Seminar and Workshop on Site Assessment using Ecosystem-based Adaptation Criteria and Valuation Tools webinar on November 26-27 (1 pm to 4 pm).

Co-organized by the Philippine Association of Tertiary Level Educational Institutions in Environmental Protection and Management (PATLEPAM), the DENR’s  CCS and EMB will also be holding a webinar on Green Recovery Strategies in the Environment and Natural Resources Sector for the Better Normal: Challenges for the Academe on November 26 (1 pm to 5 pm) for educators in the country.

The Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), the inter-agency group headed by the DENR is also set to meet on November 25 to discuss Climate-resilient Urban Plans and Designs, Maximizing ICT for CCAM-DRR Actions,  a proposed bill on Environmental Protection and Enforcement Bureau, and a Future Philippnes Initiative.

The DENR CCS, through its Facebook page, will soon be featuring the winners of ‘Mga Kwentong KLIMA-likasan’ Photoblog contest showcasing photos from the individual’s and community’s best practices in creating a safe and healthy environment through pursuing behavior change especially during this pandemic.

The week will culminate on November 27 with the launching of the United Kingdom-Philippine Partnership for Climate Change and Environment.

The various bureaus, attached agencies, and regional offices of the DENR all over the country will also mount various activities highlighting climate change, and various ways to address it, in partnership with different stakeholders.

“We hope that through these activities, we will be able to tell everyone that we all can contribute to creating a safe and healthy environment through pursuing behavior change in their communities, especially during this pandemic,” said Rebuelta-Teh.

Tagged as the Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week under Proclamation No. 1667, series of 2008, different agencies and organizations around the country annually conducts different activities to raise awareness on climate change and environmental protection in our communities every third week of  November.

According to the Global Peace Index 2019 Report, the Philippines is the country most at risk from the climate crisis with factors such as extreme weather and climate hazards.###