MANILA, 17 April 2024 — The Climate Change Commission has launched the #PledgeForPlanetEarth social media campaign this April in commemoration of Earth Month.

#PledgeForPlanetEarth calls upon individuals to pledge to take action, committing to tangible changes in their daily lives to protect the Earth from the threats of plastic pollution and climate change.

As this year's Earth Day theme focuses on "Planet vs. Plastics," the campaign aims to raise awareness, drive action, and foster community engagement around these critical issues.

“The #PledgeForPlanetEarth is a call to action, a commitment to our shared responsibility towards our planet. Let's continue to protect and preserve our planet from climate change and plastic pollution,” said CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje.

According to the United Nations, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally every year, with 17 million barrels of petroleum used for plastic production.

Around 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean annually, killing up to 1 million seabirds, 100,000 sea mammals, marine turtles and countless fish each year.

In the Philippines,  approximately 2.7 million tonnes of plastics are produced annually, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and World Bank Statistics.

In response to this crisis, the #PledgeforPlanetEarth campaign encourages the public to share their actions aligned with their pledges through post sharing and story/my day highlights.

The CCC is dedicated to lead initiatives and campaigns that advocate for the reduction of single-use plastics and the promotion of a circular economy, as aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action and SDG 14: Life Below Water.

Recently, the CCC partnered with the World Wide Fund to participate in Earth Hour with the theme "Switch Off Plastic Pollution, Give an Hour for Earth," amplifying the call for climate action.

For more information, follow us on our social media: @cccphl and join the conversation using #PledgeForPlanetEarth.