At the closing of the 2018 Climate Change Consciousness Week, held from November 19 to 23, 2018, Climate Change Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera reiterated the call for all Filipinos and the international community to step up climate action to limit global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius.

With the increasing prevalence of climate risks, Herrera said that leaders are tasked to exert more effort, especially for indigenous peoples, farmers, and fisherfolk who are highly dependent on their natural ecosystems, in order to “live safely and effectively amidst the impacts of climate change.”

“We must act on what nature and science are telling us. If not, we are putting lives and our biodiversity at risk. Our call for the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming threshold is already gaining momentum globally, and this shall drive us to push for greater ambition and strengthen leadership in climate talks for the benefit of our present and future generations,” Herrera said.

“Above all, we must continue to show leadership as a vulnerable country, as a way to amplify and inspire many more to action,” Herrera added.

Commissioner Herrera also shared the message of President Duterte, who chairs the Climate Change Commission, at the first Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Virtual Leaders Summit, emphasizing that “climate action and ambition must be shared and demonstrated by all nations” and that developed countries must give their fair share of climate action, especially in terms of technology transfer, climate finance, and capacity building.

Climate Change Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman also stated that addressing climate change is “our moral responsibility to ensure that generations will survive and thrive in a warmer world.”

Senator Loren Legarda joined this week’s celebration, via a recorded message, underlining the importance of local climate action. “At the global stage, we are forging a bold, strategic vision for adaptation. But we must then contextualize our discussions on our efforts on the ground: climate action is local. For us in the Philippines, adaptation is a matter of survival. We have been urging both our public and private sectors to embrace adaptation and to work together for a secure and resilient future,” Legarda stressed.

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