Salceda: Duterte quip on climate change talks ‘articulates national frustration’
MANILA, Philippines—The remarks made by President Rodrigo Duterte against United Nations (UN) climate change conferences articulate the country’s frustration over the lack of sanctions for big polluting countries.
Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda said this Tuesday as he downplayed the President’s insinuation of not sending a Philippine delegation to the next Conference of the Parties (COP) conference which is set to take place in Bonn, Germany later this month.
“It’s an announcement for the rest of the world that we’re frustrated. We’re suffering every year and still, nothing is being done. The emission is still rising and the impacts are still intensifying,” Salceda, chair of the House panel on climate change, told reporters.
“He actually articulates the national frustration with the global state of play with respect to climate change. Taon-taon halos umaabot ng .4 percent ng GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ang impacts ng climate change sa atin,” he added.
The Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change as it consistently deals with heavy monsoon rains and an average of 20 typhoons each year.
In his speech at the Nikkei International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan last month, Duterte has slammed climate change conferences for “attaining nothing” and for being a “waste of money.”
Article continues after this advertisementThe COP, also known as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, is the largest legally-binding agreement on climate change in the world.
Article continues after this advertisementSalceda, the first Asian chair of the Green Climate Fund, a UN entity organized to assist developing countries in countering the threats of climate change, also noted that the Climate Change Commission (CCC) is now waiting for Duterte’s approval to send a “lean” six-man team for the Bonn conference.
The Philippine delegation to the next COP conference will be comprised of officials from the CCC, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Energy.
The veteran lawmaker likewise stressed that the President’s criticisms on the Paris Agreement will not lead to the country’s withdrawal from the conference.
“Napakaimportante po ngayon dahil ang rule making at mga implementing guidelines nung Paris Agreement, ‘yun ang pinag-uusapan ngayon (sa Bonn) para ‘yung agreements maging action na,” Salceda said. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)
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