137
passed House Resolutions No. 1377 and 535, seeking to declare a climate emergency and
enjoining a “whole-of-government, whole-of-society, and whole-of-nation policy response
to anticipate, halt, reduce, reverse, address, and adapt to its impacts, consequences, and
causes.”589 Although non-binding, the resolution expressed the general sentiment of local
representatives–or half of the bicameral Congress. A similar bill590 is pending before the
Senate. Several local government units have also declared climate emergencies in their
localities.
In 2015, the Philippines communicated its intended Nationally Determined Contribution
(INDC) to the UNFCCC, pledging “GHG (CO2e) emissions reduction of about 70% by
2030, relative to its BAU scenario of 2000-2030.”591 This was anchored on reducing carbon
emissions by the energy, transport, waste, forestry, and industry sectors. However, “the
mitigation contribution is conditioned on the extent of financial resources, including
technology development and transfer, and capacity building, that will be made available to
the Philippines.”592 In 2017, the Philippines submitted its Instrument of Accession to the
Paris Agreement, with an express provision that the country’s first NDC will be submitted
before 2020. However, it was only on 15 April 2021, that the said NDC was communicated
to the UNFCCC.
Through its NDC submission in 2021, the Philippines projected a
… GHG emissions reduction and avoidance of 75%, of which 2.71%
is unconditional and 72.29% is conditional, representing the country’s
ambition for GHG mitigation for the period 2020 to 2030 for the sectors
of agriculture, wastes, industry, transport, and energy. This commitment
is referenced against a projected business-as-usual cumulative economywide emission of 3,340.3 MtCO2e 12 for the same period.593
589
A Resolution Declaring a Disaster and Climate Emergency, H. Res. No. 535, 18th Cong., 1st Reg.
Sess. (2019).
590
An Act Declaring Climate Change Emergency and Enhancing Resiliency and Adaptability to The
Effects of Climate Change, S.B. No. 1964, 18th Cong., 2d Reg. Sess. (2020).
591
592
593
Id.
Id.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, NDC Registry (Republic of the Philippines
Nationally Determined Contribution Communicated to the UNFCC on 15 April 2021), available
at
https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/Philippines%20-%20NDC.pdf
[hereinafter
Philippine NDCs].
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