MADRID, Spain 7 December 2019 – Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda is set to deliver a statement on country insights and participate in the open dialogue on the role of renewable energies in implementing the Paris Agreement, at the Parliamentary Breakfast of the Global Renewables Congress (GRC). Legarda, UNEP Laureate, UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, UNFCCC National Adaptation Plan Champion, and Member of the Governing Board for the Green Climate Fund, serves as Head of the Philippine Delegation to the 25th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), from December 6 to 12, 2019, in Madrid, Spain. The event will facilitate dialogue among legislators from across the world in discussing legislative measures to aid in the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as a means to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. It aims to identify the most suitable energy policies and solutions for effective acceleration of energy transition, emphasizing local benefits to communities, such as the creation of livelihood opportunities. Legarda will share her expertise and insights from the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region. The GRC is a cross-country, cross-party platform facilitating peer-to-peer exchanges among legislators on issues related to the rapid and large-scale deployment of renewable energy solutions. It focuses on solutions for a rapid and large-scale deployment of renewable energy through enabling legislative frameworks. It supports the global commitment of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to “well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.” The GRC is a project of the World Future Council Foundation, which consists of 50 eminent global change-makers from governments, parliaments, civil society, academia, the arts and business. It is currently chaired by Ms. Bärbel Höhn, Commissioner for Energy Reform in Africa for the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and a former Member of Parliament of the German Bundestag. --- The public is invited to monitor events of COP25 and of Deputy Speaker Legarda through the following channels: • Website – lorenlegarda.com.ph • Facebook – facebook.com/conglorenlegarda • Twitter – twitter.com/loren_legarda • Instagram – instagram.com/iamlorenlegarda
MADRID, Spain 7 December 2019 – Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Dr. Martin Frick, Senior Director for Policy and Programme Coordination of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, on December 9, Monday, in Madrid, Spain. The meeting shall take place at the sidelines of the UNFCCC’s 25th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP25), where Legarda serves as Head of the Philippine Delegation. Deputy Speaker Legarda, who is a UNEP Laureate, UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, UNFCCC National Adaptation Plan Champion, and a Member of the Governing Board for the Green Climate Fund, is expected to discuss the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the need to establish more readiness support facilities under the GCF. Legarda is also expected to discuss further collaboration between the UNFCCC Secretariat with the Government of the Philippines and with the Global Commission on Adaptation, of which Legarda is a Commissioner. The Philippines has been actively collaborating with the UNFCCC Secretariat on the delivery of capacity building and knowledge exchange in climate finance among developing countries through regional forums co-hosted by the Climate Change Commission in Manila. This collaboration that directly benefits the climate vulnerable countries and promotes south-south cooperation should be strengthened and advanced according to Legarda. The meeting is expected to deepen the relationship between the Philippines and the UNFCCC Secretariat towards enhancing collective action and empowering country stakeholders to be part of urgent efforts in addressing the impacts of climate change. --- The public is invited to monitor events of COP25 and of Deputy Speaker Legarda through the following channels: •Website – lorenlegarda.com.ph •Facebook – facebook.com/conglorenlegarda •Twitter – twitter.com/loren_legarda •Instagram – instagram.com/iamlorenlegarda
MADRID 06 December 2019 – Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda promoted the development and deployment of Filipino-designed and assembled satellites into space and emphasized the value of utilizing space science and technologies in enhancing the country and the world’s resilience to disasters and climate change. Legarda made the statement in her keynote address at the “Ocean and Climate—Contribution of the Space Technology,” organized by the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), held at the sidelines of the 25th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Madrid, Spain. Legarda, who is recognized as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum and a UNEP Laureate and is currently UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, UNFCCC National Adaptation Plan Champion, and Member to the Governing Board of the Green Climate Fund, is Head of the Philippine Delegation to COP25 from December 6 to 12, 2019. “We see the value of harnessing space science and technology, and its application in improving localized data needed for climate and disaster risk management,” Legarda said, adding that, “With our very own satellites, we are now able to capture satellite data and target a particular location in our country, allowing us further to understand our vulnerabilities as a nation, especially in light of the intensifying effects of climate change.” Legarda said that, in 2016, the Philippines made history with the country’s very first Filipino microsatellite, called Diwata-1, being launched into space. In 2018, another microsatellite, called Diwata-2, and a nanosatellite, called Maya-1, were also deployed into space. Legarda mentioned that Diwata-1 is built to undertake scientific earth observation missions related to weather observation, environmental monitoring, and disaster risk management, while Diwata-2 also captures satellite images to support the determination of extent of damages from disasters, monitoring of changes in vegetation, monitoring of natural and cultural heritage sites, and observation of cloud patterns and weather disturbances. She added that Maya-1 functions as a low-cost observation satellite, but is also able to capture images and collect sensor data in various remote areas. Legarda noted that the development of these satellites was made possible through the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite Program (PHL-MICROSAT), which is a collaboration among the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the University of the Philippines, and partners from the Hokkaido and Tohoku Universities, with the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) as the monitoring agency. Maya-1 was further developed under the Kyushu Institute of Technology’s (Kyutech) 2nd Joint Global Multination Birds Project (Birds-2), which assists non-space-faring countries in building their own miniature satellites. Legarda also highlighted that, with the enactment of the Philippine Space Act, a law she co-authored in the Senate, which mandates the creation the Philippine Space Agency and establishment of the Philippine Space Development and Utilization Policy, we are showing our commitment to enhance our natural hazard and risk assessment to inform our climate change adaptation and resilient investment planning. “Our Diwatas and Maya in space provided the impetus for the enactment of the Philippine Space Act this year to ensure the continuous development of space science and technology in the country. With this commitment, not only will our country be a responsible global space actor, but also be one of the contributors in the region in using space technology for adaptation and disaster risk reduction,” Legarda said. Legarda, however, noted that the Philippine Space Agency is still in its infancy stage and would require support from established space agencies and institutions in order to support country initiatives that harness and utilize space science and technologies. Legarda mentioned the Satellite-Based Monitoring and Assessment of Rehabilitation in Typhoon Affected Regions (SMARTER-VISAYAS) Initiative, a rapid damage assessment that acquired high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery through dedicated tasking services (DTS) months after the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013; and the Geospatial Information Management and Analysis Project for Hazards and Risk Assessment (GeoRiskPH), which aims to be the country’s central source of information for accurate and efficient hazards and risk assessment by providing protocols and platforms to share hazards, exposure, and risk information to authorities and citizens. “As we look for innovative solutions, we must utilize the most recent advances in the use of space applications and information. We must strengthen international cooperation in this area, helping ensure that we bring the benefits of space technology to our most climate-vulnerable communities,” Legarda said. “For a developing country, venturing into space science may be considered by some as the least of our priorities. It is not yet well ingrained in our educational system for our younger children to even begin to understand that this is not science fiction. But we want to change this. We want our youth to also dream and aspire to be space scientists someday,” Legarda concluded. --- The public is invited to monitor events of COP25 and of Deputy Speaker Legarda through the following channels: Website – lorenlegarda.com.ph Facebook – facebook.com/conglorenlegarda Twitter – twitter.com/loren_legarda Instagram – instagram.com/iamlorenlegarda
MADRID, 6 December 2019 – Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda, together with fellow jury members, will present and announce the winners of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Green Champions Awards in recognition of individuals and organizations who are driving transformations to combat climate change, as well as promoting exemplary initiatives on environmental, social and business-led commitments on climate action. The Announcement Ceremony and Winners Presentation will take place at the GCF Pavilion from December 6 and 7, 2019, at the sidelines of the 25th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Madrid, Spain, where Legarda also serves as Head of the Philippine Delegation. Legarda, who sits as Member of the GCF Board, is among the high-level members of the jury which also includes UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa; Former President of Chile Ricardo Lagos; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Vice Chairperson Youba Sokana; Ms. Claudia Dobles Camargo, First Lady of Costa Rica; and UNFCCC Youth Representative Mary Jane Enchill. The awards are based on the following six categories: Climate Youth Champion, for an individual, aged 25 years or below, who is making a difference in response to climate change; Climate Gender Champion, for an individual who has a track record in emphasizing the inclusiveness of women in climate action; Climate Community Champion, for an individual or organization that is central to a community’s engagement with climate action Transformational Country Champion, for an individual or organization in a developing country that has made notable progress in pursuing a GCF country programme, in using GCF readiness effectively, and in excelling in stakeholder consultation progress on GCF country programme, among others; Climate Entrepreneur, for an individual or organization that are making progress in bringing the private sector to invest in climate finance; and Climate Lifetime Achievement Champion, for an individual who is a recognized trailblazer in promoting climate action. Nominations for individuals and organizations, starting from September until October 15, were coursed through the GCF Green Champions Awards website via: https://awards.greenchampions.online. Legarda is a UNEP Laureate, UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, and UNFCCC National Adaptation Plan Champion. --- The public is invited to monitor events of COP25 and of Deputy Speaker Legarda through the following channels: Website – lorenlegarda.com.ph Facebook – facebook.com/conglorenlegarda Twitter – twitter.com/loren_legarda Instagram – instagram.com/iamlorenlegarda
MADRID, 04 December 2019 — Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda is set to head the Philippine Delegation to the 25th Conference of Parties (COP25) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from December 6 to 12, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. Legarda underscored that this year’s UN climate talks will be critical in the Philippines’ pursuit for climate justice by calling on heads of state, climate officials, public and private organizations, and world leaders to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, which was adopted in 2015 and entered into force in 2016. To date, 184 Parties to the UNFCCC have already ratified the Paris Agreement, including the Philippines, which acceded in 2017 after Legarda sponsored it in the Senate as Chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations. “We come to this year’s UN climate talks to unite our voices with our fellow developing countries in the urgent call for climate justice. We maintain the resolve to urge developed nations to provide us sufficient climate finance, technologies, and means for capacity building to aid us as we face the intensifying impacts of climate change,” Legarda said. “The Paris Agreement has set the year 2020 for countries to submit their own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are essentially country commitments to limit global warming below two degrees and further to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as agreed upon in the climate deal. Achieving its 1.5 goal entails greater ambition, stronger resolve, and faster action from all countries,” Legarda explained. “Coming to this year’s COP, we are hopeful that the developed nations or those that have the historical accountability for climate change will do their fair share to combat this climate crisis,” Legarda added. On behalf of the Government of the Philippines, Deputy Speaker Legarda will deliver the country’s National Statement at the High-Level Segment, where heads of state, heads of delegation, and world leaders will also deliver their national statements. Legarda will also deliver a keynote speech and participate in the panel discussion at the Ocean and Climate Change—Contribution of Space Technology, organized by the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF). With fellow members of the jury for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Green Champions, she is set to present the winners in recognition of individuals and organizations who are driving climate transformation at the global and national level. At the Parliamentary Breakfast of the Global Renewables Congress, Legarda will also deliver a statement on her insights and experiences as a legislator in closing the gap between ambition and action in implementing the Paris Agreement, especially in the aspect of renewable energy development. She will also convey the Philippines’ expectations, priorities, and challenges for next year’s COP, at the Panel Discussion on ASEAN Priorities for COP26, organized by the Government of the United Kingdom. As Commissioner of the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA), Deputy Speaker Legarda will speak at the High-Level Forum of GCA Convening Countries: Raising Ambition Ahead of the 2020 Climate Adaptation Summit, which will also mark the Commission’s Year of Action. She will also attend the ASEAN dinner hosted by Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. Legarda is also scheduled to meet with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa; and Ms. Claire O’Neill, President-designate for COP26 to discuss the UK’s hosting for next year’s UN climate talks. Legarda’s inspiring advocacy has earned her global recognition as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum and a UNEP Laureate. She is currently UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, UNFCCC National Adaptation Plan Champion, and Alternate Member to the Governing Board of the Green Climate Fund. “The gathering of world leaders in this year’s COP must be responsive to the call of our youth and advocates in the global climate strikes and show that nations are committed to do what they should do in this state of climate emergency. Expect the Philippines together with other developing countries to champion climate justice—to demand what is right and fair for us highly vulnerable countries,” Legarda concluded. -- The public is invited to monitor events of COP25 and of Deputy Speaker Legarda through the following channels: Website – lorenlegarda.com.ph Facebook – facebook.com/conglorenlegarda Twitter – twitter.com/loren_legarda Instagram – instagram.com/iamlorenlegarda
