The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has vowed to exert its utmost efforts to finalize expeditiously the Philippines' commitment to the Paris agreement to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

"The country’s first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement shall convey the shared vision and collective strategies of our sectors for the immediate pursuit of low carbon development and a sustainable future for the Filipino nation," the CCC said.

"It shall also communicate to the developed world our readiness for transformative green investments and finance, consistent with the President’s call for climate justice," it noted.

The CCC, pursuant to its mandate under the law, has spearheaded the development and finalization of the NDC through a whole-of-government-and-society approach. 

"We shall ensure that the NDC reflects information that is not only evidence-based, but also verifiable and accurate," it said.

To ensure the technical integrity of the NDC, the Commission noted that the national government, with support from development partners, has devoted expertise, time, and resources to strengthen the capacities of the lead sectoral agencies to undertake the NDC analytics. 

Moreover, the CCC said government agencies have required more time to develop and enhance the sectoral policies and measures, and to determine the country’s economy-wide target for emission reduction and avoidance.

Civil society organizations had earlier expressed their discontent on the country's unambitious proposed commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to address climate change.

They were citing the CCC's Dec. 23, 2020 presentation of the country's three-page draft NDC text.

In the latest version, the Philippines aims to reduce its GHG emissions by 30 percent by 2040 from its business-as-usual scenario (2020-2040), with at least two percent of these reductions to be done unconditionally. 

The groups highlighted that the reduction of 30 percent of GHG by 2040 is much lower than what the country had committed to reduce in its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution or INDC in 2015. 

The Philippines then had committed to reduce by 70 percent its carbon emissions by 2030 to achieve a below two degrees Celsius increase in global temperatures.

"Over the next few weeks, the NDC technical working group, composed of the sectoral lead government agencies, shall hold a series of virtual planning sessions to finalize the NDC," the CCC said.

"It will consider the concerns and comments of stakeholders following the most recent NDC multi-stakeholder consultation held last Dec. 23, 2020 and attended by representatives from national government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector, and development partners," it added.