GREEN groups have called on the Aquino administration to take heed of the dire warnings contained in the latest United Nations (UN) report on climate change.
In a briefing on Friday morning, Aksyon Klima Pilipinas, Greenpeace and Oxfam expressed their grave concerns following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Report on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation, which released a grim climate forecast for Southeast Asia.
Adding seriousness to their call was the devastating impact of Supertyphoon Yolanda, which devastated the islands of Leyte and Samar in November 2013.
To jump-start the country’s adaptation and mitigation efforts, the three organizations said President Aquino himself should allocate money for the People’s Survival Fund (PSF), which, by law, finances the adaptation plans of local government units (LGUs).
The People’s Survival Fund Act, or Republic Act 10174, amends the Climate Change Act of 2009 by allocating at least P1 billion for the local adaptation plans of LGUs and communities.
It currently has only P500 million in unprogramed funds under the 2014 national budget.
President Aquino has yet to sign the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Climate Change Act to make the PSF operational.
Worse, he has yet to convene the Climate Change Commission (CCC) since he took office in 2010.
Adaptation plans include early-warning systems and contingency planning for extreme-weather events like droughts and floods.
Nonetheless, the three groups also lashed out at developed countries like the US and China, which are on top of the list of polluting nations.
Washington, Beijing, Tokyo and a host of other developed countries must honor their responsibility and commit to scale up their adaptation and mitigation actions, the groups said.
These countries have been notorious for not spending considerable sums to reduce their carbon footprints and minimize the use of chemicals that heat up the planet, they added.
“After Yolanda, we also need to adapt to the best of our own abilities and empower communities so they can be more climate-resilient,” the three groups stated.
“Beyond the PSF, both disaster-risk reduction and climate-change adaptation should already be incorporated in the post-Yolanda rehabilitation plan, and then into longer-term national and local development plans and budgets,” said Melvin Purzuelo, convener of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas.
“The IPCC report, however, states that adaptation is not enough. We, therefore, need to integrate adaptation with mitigation strategies, such as transitioning to renewable-energy systems,” said Amalie Obusan, regional climate and energy campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
On the PSF, Justin Morgan, Oxfam country director, said: “Congress must allocate at least P1 billion to the PSF as mandated by law. President Aquino must also sign the revised [IRR] of the Climate Change Act to make the fund operational.”
“As a highly vulnerable country, extreme-weather events are now our new normal, and we need to take concrete measures to literally survive,” the groups added.
A total of 309 coordinating lead authors and review editors drawn from 70 countries were selected to produce the IPCC report. They enlisted the help of 436 contributing authors, and a total of 1,729 expert and government reviewers.
Five Filipinos contributed in the writing and editing of the latest IPCC report: Juan Pulhin (University of the Philippines [UP] Los Baños); Felino Lansigan (UP Los Baños); Lourdes Tibig (Independent); Rodel Lasco, (World Agroforestry Center); and Rosa Perez (Manila Observatory).
The Working Group I report was released in September 2013. IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report cycle concludes with the publication of its Synthesis Report in October 2014.
Source: Business Mirror
