State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace
January 24, 2024
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convened with the Philippine Delegation of the Conference of Parties (COP28) to discuss the key outcomes of COP28 and present the draft of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Implementation Plan 2023-2030, as well as the Philippine National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050, at the State Dining Room in Malacãnan Palace.
During the meeting, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga first presented the key outcomes of COP28.
These include the improvement of energy capacity by 2030; transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just and orderly manner; accelerating zero-and-low emissions technologies and reduction of emission from road transport; adopting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Framework for Climate Resilience by 2030; commitment budget for Loss and Damage (LD) Funds; operationalization of LD with the World Bank as Interim Hosting, and call for scale-up in concessional and grant for climate change.
Apart from the key outcomes, DENR Secretary Loyzaga discussed the key wins for the country which focus on the nexus of biodiversity and climate action, inclusion of workforce as important implements, firm commitment to use available science and emissions avoidance.
Furthermore, she presented the Philippine National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050 and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Implementation Plan 2023-2030 where she emphasized the requested actions from President Marcos Jr.
These focus on adoption of both NAP and NDC as basis for climate, approve the adaptation and implementation plans upon formal concurrence of relevant agencies for sectoral application, and urge agencies to mainstream both plans in the development planning and budget processes of the government.
Additionally, she explained the requested actions from the agencies such as cascading NAP and NDC to national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs) as inputs to policies, and strategically engaging the private sector and development partners to address adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk arising.
During the meeting, President Marcos Jr. agreed to participating in international environmental events, highlighting the importance of attending as it would contribute to an influential and resourceful actions in combating climate change in the Philippines.
Likewise, he issued a directive to the DENR and all concerned agencies to prioritize addressing in specific local environmental issues first, emphasizing that breaking down specific plans to improve climate change mitigation efforts at a local level would benefit the country as a whole. He also suggested providing guidance and assistance to areas that require it with support from various LGUs across different sectors.
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