Philippines at the forefront of global climate action

THE Climate Change Commission (CCC) has pledged to continue leading the fight against climate change as its impacts increasingly affect the Philippines.

CCC Vice Chairman and Executive Director Robert Borje said the commission would explore further collaborations on climate change programs to "strengthen efforts to safeguard our communities, protect livelihoods and enhance our adaptive capacities."

He emphasized that this was "crucial" as the country continues to "experience the devastating impacts of climate change, including stronger typhoons, rising sea levels and prolonged droughts."

Last month, the CCC held a consultation dialogue with civil society organizations to strengthen the Philippines' position at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Borje said this collaboration was vital to enhancing the country's strategy in global climate negotiations and aligning efforts to build climate resilience at the national level.

"Our goal is to ensure that every voice, especially from the most vulnerable communities, is represented and heard," Borje said.

He also highlighted the urgent need to ramp up disaster risk readiness and preparedness, particularly in the wake of several tropical cyclones that recently battered parts of the country.

He underscored President Marcos Jr.'s vision of climate solidarity: "This gathering is more than just a recognition of partnerships; it is a rallying call for action. Climate action and adaptation are a whole-of-nation, whole-of-society, and whole-of-world endeavor. There is much at stake."

President Marcos also emphasized the critical role of the CCC in empowering communities to adapt, build resilience and pave the way for sustainability for all Filipinos.

Under the leadership of Marcos, the CCC remains committed to advancing national policies on climate resilience, focusing on building adaptive capacity across various sectors and communities.

As the lead policymaking body on climate change, the CCC is tasked with coordinating, monitoring and evaluating government programs. It also ensures that climate change is integrated into national, local and sectoral development plans to help create a climate-resilient and climate-smart Philippines.

At COP29, the Philippines signed a host country agreement with the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) Board, formalizing the country's responsibilities.

The LDF is an international financial mechanism designed to provide grants and concessional financing to climate-vulnerable countries to support their recovery efforts from climate-related economic and non-economic losses and damages.

In August, President Marcos, who also heads the CCC, signed into law Republic Act 12019, also known as the Loss and Damage Fund Board Act.

The law grants the Philippines the legal capacity to host the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, enabling it to address the loss and damage caused by climate change while mobilizing innovative sources of climate financing.

The LDF board, made up of 26 members from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, will establish the fund's direction and manage its operations.

The Philippines secured a seat on the board as a permanent representative for the Asia-Pacific Group for 2024 and 2026 and as an alternate representative for 2025.

The Philippines is pushing for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) to be based in Manila, citing the country's extreme vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters.

The FRLD, which manages funds to assist climate-vulnerable developing countries, held its fourth board meeting in Manila.

During a courtesy call with the FRLD board members in Malacañang on Dec. 2, President Marcos reiterated that hosting the board would be "of supreme importance" to the Philippines due to its vulnerability to climate risks.

"The record number of disasters that have hit the Philippines in recent weeks underscores the urgency of addressing climate change," Marcos said. "The momentum created since the Industrial Revolution is difficult to halt or redirect, but I hope that all of you can help find solutions so that, in the Philippines, most of our people do not suffer."

Marcos emphasized that hosting the board meeting in Manila would give the Philippines a stronger voice in accessing financial assistance for climate-related initiatives.

"As we can see worldwide, weather events are becoming more extreme, with torrential rains followed by scorching heat waves," Marcos noted. "Our country's geographical location makes us highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Because of this vulnerability, we are proactive advocates for heightened climate responsibility and justice on the global stage."

The president also encouraged government agencies, educational institutions, civil society organizations, the business sector and local government units to intensify efforts to localize the National Adaptation Plan, which aims to reduce climate-related loss and damage by 2050.

"Together with actions both big and small, let us continue our mission for a safer, greener, and brighter future for all," Marcos said.

Borje welcomed the president's actions to strengthen the country's climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.

"The Climate Change Commission will ensure that the Philippines remains at the forefront of global climate action. The president's support for climate-related initiatives is crucial in securing a sustainable future for the Philippines and the world," Borje said.

During the Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, President Marcos called on Filipinos to unite and take collective action to address the pressing challenges of climate change.

He expressed confidence that through unity and shared commitment, Filipinos can rise to the challenge and ensure a brighter future for future generations.

"We are continuously called to act so that the next generations can still enjoy the lush and bountiful Philippines we have inherited," the president said.

Marcos also highlighted the importance of a collective vision for a sustainable future: "As we commit to building a Bagong Pilipinas, let our vision be clear. We want a Philippines that is well taken care of. We want a nation that remains unshaken, no matter the situation. Most importantly, we want a people who truly appreciate the abundance of our lands and seas."

Recently, the CCC conducted an outreach program that benefited 100 farmers and their families in the municipality of Paete, Laguna.

Paete, a fourth-class municipality, relies heavily on agriculture for livelihoods, making it particularly vulnerable to climate-related challenges.

"This holiday season, we are undertaking this outreach program as part of our community-building activities, underscoring the reason for this season. We recognize that our farmers are at the frontline of climate impacts and we hope this outreach program helps ease the burden of those most affected and empower them to not just survive, but thrive," CCC Vice Chairman and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje said.

One of the key sectors of the government's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) focuses on agriculture, fisheries, and food security.

The NAP aims to achieve three key outcomes for agriculture: productive and resilient agriculture and fisheries, conservation of natural resources critical for agriculture and aquaculture, and protection of farmers' and fisherfolk's livelihoods amid climate change.

The CCC continues to work closely with local governments through the development of Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP) to ensure that farmers and their communities have the resources and knowledge needed to build climate resilience.

The municipality of Paete submitted its LCCAP for 2021-2026 and Annual Investment Program (AIP) for 2023 to the CCC in May last year.

It outlines the municipality's strategies and actions to address climate change impacts on their community, infrastructure, and economy, while the AIP contains the programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) of the LGU, including on climate action.

From a global perspective, nowhere was spared the devastating impact of supercharged climate disasters in 2024.

This year is the hottest in history, with record-breaking temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans acting like fuel for extreme weather around the world.

World Weather Attribution, experts on how global warming influences extreme events, said nearly every disaster they analysed over the past 12 months was intensified by climate change.

"The impacts of fossil fuel warming have never been clearer or more devastating than in 2024. We are living in a dangerous new era," said climate scientist Friederike Otto, who leads the WWA network.

Heat

That was tragically evident in June when more than 1,300 people died during the Muslim hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia where temperatures hit 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit).

Extreme heat — sometimes dubbed the "silent killer" — also proved deadly in Thailand, India, and United States.

Conditions were so intense in Mexico that howler monkeys dropped dead from the trees, while Pakistan kept millions of children at home as the mercury inched above 50C.

Greece recorded its earliest ever heatwave, forcing the closure of its famed Acropolis and fanning terrible wildfires, at the outset of Europe's hottest summer yet.

Floods

Climate change isn't just sizzling temperatures — warmer oceans mean higher evaporation, and warmer air absorbs more moisture, a volatile recipe for heavy rainfall.

In April, the United Arab Emirates received two years worth of rain in a single day, turning parts of the desert-state into a sea, and hobbling Dubai's international airport.

Kenya was barely out of a once-in-a-generation drought when the worst floods in decades delivered back-to-back disasters for the East African nation.

Four million people needed aid after historic flooding killed more than 1,500 people across West and Central Africa. Europe — most notably Spain — also suffered tremendous downpours that caused deadly flash flooding.

Afghanistan, Russia, Brazil, China, Nepal, Uganda, India, Somalia, Pakistan, Burundi and the United States were among other countries that witnessed flooding in 2024.

Cyclones

Warmer ocean surfaces feed energy into tropical cyclones as they barrel toward land, whipping up fierce winds and their destructive potential.

Major hurricanes pummeled the United States and Caribbean, most notably Milton, Beryl and Helene, in a 2024 season of above-average storm activity.

The Philippines endured six major storms in November alone, just two months after suffering Typhoon Yagi as it tore through Southeast Asia.

In December, scientists said global warming had helped intensify Cyclone Chino to a Category 4 storm as it collided head-on with Mayotte, devastating France's poorest overseas territory.

Droughts and wildfires

Some regions may be wetter as climate change shifts rainfall patterns, but others are becoming drier and more vulnerable to drought.

The Americas suffered severe drought in 2024 and wildfires torched millions of hectares in the western United States, Canada, and the Amazon basin — usually one of Earth's wettest places.

Between January and September, more than 400,000 fires were recorded across South America, shrouding the continent in choking smoke.

The World Food Programme in December said 26 million people across southern Africa were at risk of hunger as a months-long drought parched the impoverished region.

Economic toll

Extreme weather cost thousands of lives in 2024 and left countless more in desperate poverty. The lasting toll of such disasters is impossible to quantify.

In terms of economic losses, Zurich-based reinsurance giant Swiss Re estimated the global damage bill at $310 billion, a statement issued early December.

Flooding in Europe — particularly in the Spanish province of Valencia, where over 200 people died in October — and hurricanes Helene and Milton drove up the cost, the company said.

As of Nov. 1, the United States had suffered 24 weather disasters in 2024 with losses exceeding $1 billion each, government figures showed.

Drought in Brazil cost its farming sector $2.7 billion between June and August, while "climatic challenges" drove global wine production to its lowest level since 1961, an industry body said.