Palace hails Paris agreement

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. FILE PHOTO

MALACAÑANG on Monday hailed the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change as a “direct result” of the concerted efforts of President Aquino and other world leaders to ensure a low-carbon future.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Malacañang welcomed the breakthrough agreement during the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to halt global warming.

“By [adopting] the pact—the world’s first comprehensive climate agreement—195 nations made the commitment to limit the rise of global temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with the bolder aim of 1.5C. This is a direct result of repeated calls to action from leaders such as President Aquino, who in his Climate Vulnerable Forum speech said ‘either we all strive and sacrifice, or we only vary in how much we lose,’” he said.

Presidential Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the 1.5C target was just an “aspirational goal,” which the Philippines and 194 other countries agreed would be a difficult to achieve.

But Coloma said the Philippines was committed to do everything in its power to reach this goal just like what the President declared in his speech in Paris.

“The Philippines has taken proactive steps like the National Greening Program, renewable fuels program and national operation of assessment of hazards to respond to the challenges of climate change. In the long term, we expect the united action of nations to help us hit the 1.5C target,” Coloma said.