House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda lauded on Friday, April 16, the approval of the Philippines’ first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which pledges significant cuts to the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
“We welcome the signing of the NDC, which will drive more ambitious climate action, stronger and more sustainable economic growth, and a green pandemic recovery,” Legarda said in a statement.
Signed by President Duterte, Legarda said the country’s first NDC conveys a 75-percent reduction and avoidance to GHG emissions by 2030.
Out of this, 72.29 percent is conditional or contingent on the support of climate finance, technologies, and capacity development, which shall be provided by developed countries as prescribed by the Paris Agreement; while the other 2.71 percent is unconditional or shall be implemented mainly through domestic resources.
The new commitment is higher than the 70 percent GHG reduction target in the Philippines’ Intended NDC submitted in 2015.
The NDC was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Thursday, April 15.
“Our NDC is ambitious and is indeed transformational, and we thank the President, with the Department of Finance (DOF), Climate Change Commission (CCC), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Transportation (DoTr) Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), for pushing for bigger cuts in our emissions in crafting the NDC. We also laud members of the business sector, civil society organizations and the academe who actively participated in the consultations," Legarda said.
In January this year, Legarda filed House Resolution 1494 urging the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to submit the country’s NDC to help tackle the climate emergency and drive sustainable pandemic recovery.
In 2017, as chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Legarda led the process of the Senate concurrence in the country's accession to the Paris Agreement.
The NDC represents the country’s ambition to modernize and pursue low carbon and resilient development for the sectors of agriculture, waste, industry, transport, and energy for the period of 2020 to 2030.