‘Keep climate ambition alive’

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) called on global and national leaders to keep climate ambition and action alive in support of the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was adopted by 195 countries, including the Philippines, five years ago.

It was formally adopted through Decision 1/CP.21 during the 21^st Conference of Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris on December 12, 2015.

As a landmark agreement to combat climate change and accelerate and intensify actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future, the Paris Agreement brought developed and developing nations for the first time into a common cause—to undertake ambitious efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide, and adapt to its effects.

The Paris Agreement primarily aims to keep the global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5ºC. It also aims to strengthen the countries’ resilience to climate change impacts, as well as increase mobilization of climate finance for adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

Developed countries are urged to take greater action to support these ambitious goals. Sufficient financial flows, technologies, and capacity development support should be made available to developing countries and the most vulnerable countries. The Agreement also puts in place transparency, compliance, and reporting mechanisms to track the progress of these goals.

While the CCC recognized that the Paris Agreement spurred many countries to increase pledges on climate finance and to commit net zero carbon emissions targets, the agency also said that countries need to present more ambitious climate plans, in line with COVID-19 recovery plans, to ensure that the 1.5ºC long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement is achieved.

The CCC noted that the Paris Agreement requires countries to communicate their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and outline mitigate and adaptation options through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which need to be submitted by the end of this year.

The climate body also mentioned that House Resolution No. 1377 calling for the declaration of a national climate emergency in the Philippines, the issuance of a moratorium on new coal power projects, and the adoption of a sustainable finance framework in the banking and financing industry are some of the ambitious announcements of the Philippines towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development.

The CCC hopes that the celebration of the 5^th anniversary of the Paris Agreement puts the climate crisis at the heart of the global agenda and reminds all nations of the common goal and aspiration they committed to five years ago for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable planet for all.