MANILA, 10 November 2021 — Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda, House Committee on Climate Change Chair and Bohol 1st District Representative Edgar Chatto, and Kabataan Partylist Representative Sarah Elago underscored the goals of the Philippines at the ongoing climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland for the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
 
World leaders have reconvened for COP26, after a year of postponement due to the pandemic, to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, who is also the designated chairperson of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), leads the Philippine delegation.
 
In her privilege speech, Legarda discussed what the Philippines must push COP26 to deliver “if it is to be a summit of survival,” including securing a concrete delivery plan for the USD500 billion promised by developed countries, advancing action on the area of Loss and Damage, pushing emissions avoidance, and seeking more ambitious national climate targets around the world.
 
“The Parties at COP26 must agree on a clear and concrete delivery plan for the annual USD100 billion over five years pledged by developed countries to developing ones from 2020 to 2024—after which we expect the amount to increase,” Legarda said, adding that this pledge will help developing countries build their capacity to reduce emissions and adapt to the intensifying impacts of climate change.
 
“These twelve days of climate talks could well be the world’s best last chance to get runaway climate change under control. Today, November 8, the nation also commemorates the eighth anniversary of Supertyphoon Yolanda. Indeed, this climate summit is a make-or-break for the most vulnerable countries,” Legarda also said.
 
Rep. Chatto explained that our delegation hopes to get the finalization of rules for Article 6 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which involve modalities and procedures for implementing cooperative approaches between developed and developing countries.
 
“Our delegates need to ensure that developed countries will finally move with urgency to deliver on their commitments in terms of the Paris Agreement’s means of implementation, that is, through climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building from developed countries to developing ones,” Chatto said.
 
“Without these, our country will not be able to develop the capacity and technical know-how we need to avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and we will not be able to survive the worsening impacts of climate change,” he added.
 
Rep. Elago also expressed support to the call for accelerated actions to address planetary emergency and climate crisis, as well as to uphold climate justice.
 
“Ang Pilipinas ang isa po sa pinaka-vulnerable, pinaka-apektado ng climate crisis sa buong mundo, ngunit tayo rin po ang isa sa may pinakamaliit na kontribusyon sa CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions. Kaya nanawagan tayo na nawa’y di manatili sa mga papel, sa mga manifesto ‘yung mga commitment ng ating mga leaders kundi makita talaga natin ‘yan sa mga pagbabago sa ating mga kasalukuyang patakaran at legislation,” Rep. Elago said.
 
COP26 is hosted by the United Kingdom and is taking place in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12, 2021. The summit brings world leaders together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC.