As the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) approaches, the Philippines has yet to finalize its updated national climate action pledge through the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The delay is not merely a setback but also an opportunity for the Philippines to develop policies and measures (PAMs) under its NDC that are just, equitable, measurable, and time-bound, ensuring climate action rooted in climate justice.

NDC PAMs are the country’s tools for achieving the 1.5℃ global target with the Filipino people's welfare at the center. Our 75 percent emissions reduction target, backed by a self-funded commitment increasing from 2.7 percent to 10-20 percent, signals seriousness. Now, the Philippine government and agencies leading the country's NDC development must ensure these goals take root in every community.

In this light, the global stage offers both a roadmap and a warning. The recent 64th Session of the Subsidiary Bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB64) in Bonn failed to launch the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM), a framework designed to protect the rights and interests of workers, women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and local communities during the just transition. Without it, the most vulnerable are left unprotected. Adaptation finance pledges from wealthy nations also stalled.

This global inaction has already proven dangerous to ordinary Filipinos, amid worsening climate-related disasters and oil and gas market shocks resulting from the ongoing conflict in West Asia. It is imperative for the Philippines to strengthen its capacity to protect itself while continuing to pursue its climate goals as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.

It is within this fragile context that we must confront the governance gap that is leaving our local stakeholders behind. The Philippines remains one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, yet our local government units (LGUs), the delegated implementing bodies for our NDC on the ground, continue to operate without sufficient resources.

The Reimagine NDC consultations led by The Climate Reality Project Philippines in 2025 revealed that the top challenge faced by LGUs in implementing climate goals is their lack of information and understanding of the NDC. This further compounds other barriers to implementing climate action.

These frontline leaders are rarely consulted when national targets are set, yet they are expected to carry the heaviest burden. To further empower LGUs as primary drivers of national climate action, the national government, together with policymakers, must urgently invest in them.

Raising our unconditional target to 10-20 percent means we cannot rely solely on foreign aid. We therefore call on the national government to dedicate resources and sustained support for LGUs, ensuring our towns and cities have the capacity to implement local projects without relying on unpredictable international support.

The updated NDC must provide clear guidance to LGUs for integrating the NDC PAMs into local plans such as the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) plans. Capacitating our LGUs is how we can deliver just, equitable, measurable, and time-bound climate action.

As the PAMs highlight, being “measurable and time-bound” in the 2035 cycle also means setting concrete five-year milestones. Being “just” means recognizing that a wealthy city and a coastal farming town have different capacities while ensuring that climate action protects constituents at the grassroots level. Being “equitable” demands that resources flow to our most vulnerable and least-resourced municipalities. Without capacitating LGUs to implement PAMs, our updated ambition for the 2026 NDC remains aspirational. With such support, it becomes actionable, accountable, and grounded in local realities.

In this light, capacitating LGUs is not just an administrative necessity; it is the cornerstone of a just transition. As we move away from the business-as-usual scenario, our LGUs must be equipped to retrain their workers and cushion communities from socioeconomic disruptions.

However, ambition without checks and balances is a gamble. The Philippines has yet to establish a fully functional, nationwide Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system. A reliable MRV system allows the country to measure and verify its emissions reductions. Having a robust MRV system throughout the 2035 cycle is an essential prerequisite for tracking participation, demonstrating progress, and justifying international support.

A comprehensive MRV system will also help the national government set a more ambitious 2026 NDC that is grounded in the realities of local implementing bodies.

Highlighting lessons from consultations with LGUs, an MRV system will also support the development of PAMs that are measurable and reflective of LGU capacities and contributions.

As we approach COP31, we must confront these global and domestic challenges head-on. LGUs and communities cannot continue to struggle alone; they need government guidance through clear NDC PAMs. Higher ambition is essential to achieving global targets, but timely submission is what the Philippines must demonstrate now. The government must establish a robust MRV system and develop PAMs that are just and equitable for local stakeholders.

As the Philippines prepares its updated NDC 2026 submission, we call on the Philippine government and policymakers to pursue our global climate goals with the Filipino people in mind. Every policy and every measure is an opportunity to affirm that the Filipino people, from the local to the global stage, remain at the heart of the country’s climate action.