Duterte says UN climate change deal ‘favorable’ only to rich nations

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte again expressed displeasure over the United Nations’ (UN) climate change deal, this time calling it “favorable” only to rich nations and made poor countries look “foolish.”

“The nations are not agreeing with each other regarding climate change. Some nations are just fooling us,” Duterte said in his speech in General Santos City Thursday.

“I even told the president of the UN. I was very direct. I said, ‘Your laws are only favorable for the rich nations. Poor nations like ours are made to look foolish’,” he added.

In his speech at the Nikkei International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo last month, Duterte first slammed climate change conferences for “attaining nothing” and as a “waste of money.”

He even hinted at the possibility that the Philippines may not send a delegation in the next climate change conference later this month.

READ: PH execs won’t attend climate meets abroad

Two weeks later, the President lamented how rich nations produce more carbon footprints than smaller countries like the Philippines, which are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The UN climate conferences, more popularly known as the Conference of Parties, is an annual gathering where member countries discuss the implementation and status of climate change deals.

Among the most important deals in the conference is the Paris Agreement, which limits countries’ carbon emissions to certain levels to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

“You fools, what have you been hit with? There are no storms there in your place. In the higher places, there is snow. O sige,” Duterte pointed out.

“But if you go around selling halo-halo, we will be suffering with TB (tuberculosis), lung cancer, and other cancers of the throat because we would be the ones inhaling your excess carbon emissions when they start to emit a lot,” he added.

The Philippines is among nations most vulnerable to climate change as it consistently deals with heavy monsoon rains and an average of 20 typhoons per year.  (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)