The Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) today encouraged the Philippine government to continue to participate in minimizing the effects of climate change, saying that the country has born the brunt of climate change’s effects.
The CHR was reacting to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.’s tweet yesterday saying that the Philippines will no longer participate in climate change conferences that would require delegates to travel by air.
“Following Duterte’s answer to UN’s plea for yet another stronger stand against climate change—which he branded as more hot air—I am rejecting all official participation in climate change conferences requiring air travel. We’ll just vote Yes to radical proposals. No more talk,” Locsin said.
Following Duterte’s answer to UN’s plea for yet another stronger stand against climate change—which he branded as more hot air—I am rejecting all official participation in climate change conferences requiring air travel. We’ll just vote Yes to radical proposals. No more talk. https://t.co/Q5jIAb3jFs
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 4, 2019
Locsin’s decision came about because Duterte, in his speech at the Nikkei International Conference on the Future of Asia last month, said that such conferences have done nothing to solve the problem of climate change and that they were just a waste of time and money, Rappler reported.
Despite the government’s decision not to attend such talks, the CHR hoped that the Philippines “will remain active in climate change prevention.”
The commission said that by participating in such conferences, the Philippines is ensured that it has a say on climate change discourse which affects the country greatly.
The CHR pointed out that the Philippines is visited by about 20 typhoons each year, which could prove to be fatal, as seen in 2013’s Haiyan, which killed at least 6,300 people.
The commission said that the Philippines’ participation in such discussions has yielded positive results.
“In 2015, as chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, the Philippines led the advocacy for global warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius,” the CHR said.
“This ambitious goal is now enshrined in the Paris Agreement, which is meant to strengthen and guide efforts for global climate action. Participating in the global discourse can also be an avenue to press for greater responsibility and accountability especially from the primary contributors of global emissions.”
In 2016, the Philippines signed the Paris Agreement, which sought to minimize greenhouse gases emitted by all of its signatory countries. Manila promised to reduce its carbon emissions by 2030, but Duterte expressed misgivings about signing the pact because he believed it would stop the Philippines from becoming an industrialized nation.
The commission also said that the Philippine government has to continue with its commitment to preventing climate change. It also urged the government to implement policies that would reduce its effects.
“The future of humanity is at stake and our country is among those that bear the brunt of this global phenomenon. We, therefore, encourage the government to take advantage of all avenues that aim to address the climate problem,” the CHR said.
Aside from the occurrence of strong typhoons and the flooding they cause, scientists say that the worsening El Niño phenomenon in the Philippines is also caused by climate change. Other effects of climate change in the country include the rise of sea surface temperatures and the rise of sea levels.
