Legarda pushes for global united front vs climate change

Sen. Loren Legarda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines –Senator Loren Legarda is urging governments of the world to build a united front against climate change.

Legarda, head of the Senate committee on climate change, particularly asked the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) to join the cause.

The senator made the call during a discussion with ICAPP Chairman Jose de Venecia, Jr., who readily agreed to convene the ICAPP to join a global alliance to fight climate change and its impacts.

“ICAPP Chairman De Venecia has readily agreed to our call for all governments of the world to join the global action versus climate change and they will also urge the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) and other global political parties to join,” she said in a statement issued on Friday.

This, she said, was in line with the joint Philippines-France statement, Manila Call to Action on Climate Change, which engages “the international community, all stakeholders and world opinion, on the urgency of addressing climate change seriously, efficiently, and equitably.”

The “Call to Action” was read by the senator and French actress Marion Cotillard during its launching Thursday in Malacañang  as a highlight of French President Francois Hollande’s state visit to the Philippines.

The senator noted Hollande’s statement that “The Manila appeal is for the world to be more fair between developed countries and fragile ones, between wealthy countries and poor ones, between generations as well, those who had all their time to extract resources from the planet and who now have a duty to act so their children, their grandchildren as well can live.”

In 2008, Legarda said, the Manila Call for Action of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation was adopted by parliamentarians from the Philippines, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Uganda and the East African Legislative Assembly.

She said the 2008 Call for Action was a result of the consultative meeting for global parliamentarians, which she convened as UN Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific.

“We launched the 2008 Manila Call for Action with the goal of creating an enabling environment for promoting disaster risk reduction, to mainstream it into socioeconomic development, and make it a national and international priority,” she said.

“Yesterday, the Philippines-France Manila Call to Action stressed the need to act now to address climate change and its impacts. Then and now, our call has always been: collective action towards sustainability and resilience,” Legarda added.