BANGKOK, Thailand—President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has asserted his position on climate change before his fellow Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders, saying their response is critical to the fate of the planet.
Marcos further advanced his stand on the issue in his intervention at the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) retreat session on Thursday, Nov. 18.
"How economies respond is critical in determining the fate of the planet we live on and will pass on to our future generations," Marcos said.
"The world currently faces the greatest environmental challenges of all time –– that it continues to pose threats to the planet, and that is one existential element that we all have to deal with," Marcos added.
This is not the first time Marcos zeroed in on climate change as he also brought it up during his opening speech at the APEC CEO Summit on Wednesday as among the three serious global problems the world is facing now.
The President said that the summit, which has 21 member economies, is an effective platform to discuss climate change as he believes that "increased interconnectedness and interdependence of peoples and economies brought about by globalization has led to the progressive world we live in today."
To ensure inclusive and sustainable growth amid an apparent downturn of the world economy and risks of recessions, he also asked his counterparts in APEC to work together towards achieving economic and social stability, which is aligned with the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 that seeks an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040.
Marcos stressed that the effects of globalization on the environment have become more acute and that strong, immediate and coordinated international action is imperative. Thus, he reiterated the Philippines' commitment to collaborate with other economies in addressing the global problem.
"As one of the economies at greatest risk from the climate crisis, the Philippines is committed to advancing these cooperative solutions," he said.
The chief executive also said that global agreements aiming to address environmental issues, particularly climate change, are already in force, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
Various multilateral and bilateral environmental agreements aiming to protect the environment have also been ratified, he added.