MANILA, 5 June 2020 — In observance of World Environment Day, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) called on national and global leaders to take bolder actions to address the two most daunting challenges the world is currently facing—the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency.

With the theme, Time for Nature, the CCC said that this observance shall serve as a reminder that while nations are slowly transitioning to a new normal, the momentum to raise awareness on the importance of nature and climate action should be sustained and scaled up even more for a safer planet.

The country’s environmental laws such as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9147), Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 (Republic Act No. 11038), and the Climate Change Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 9729) are regarded as landmark legislations by the international community. The implementation of these laws, according to the CCC, will contribute significantly to the envisioned green and resilient post-COVID recovery.

According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Philippines is listed as one of the world’s “megadiverse” countries and sustaining to around 70-80% of the planet’s biodiversity. The Philippines ranks fifth in the number of plant species and maintains 5% of the world’s flora.

The CBD also reported that the Philippines has very high species endemism, covering at least 25 genera of plants and 49% of terrestrial wildlife, while the country ranks fourth in bird endemism. The Philippines is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with at least 700 threatened species thus making it one of the top global conservation areas.

The climate body stressed that climate action and biodiversity conservation are two important issues that should be prioritized to ensure a safer and more sustainable future for the Filipino people.