President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday (Manila time) called for a united effort among nations to address climate change.
In a speech at the 77th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Marcos said climate change is “the greatest threat affecting our nations and our peoples.”
“There is no other problem so global in nature that it requires a united effort, one led by the United Nations,” he said in a speech that lasted over 20 minutes.
At the same time, Marcos—who met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the session—underscored the need for nations to invest in food security, noting that the coronavirus pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict have resulted in difficulties in accessing food worldwide.
Climate Change
Despite being one of the smallest contributors to CO2 emissions, the Philippines remains among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, Marcos said.
“The effects of climate change are uneven and reflect an historical injustice: Those who are least responsible suffer the most. The Philippines, for example, is a net carbon sink, we absorb more carbon dioxide than we emit. And yet, we are the 4th most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change,” he said.
Marcos emphasized the need for nations to correct injustices by accepting their share of responsibilities.
He also enjoined industrialized countries to fulfill their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement to “cut their greenhouse gas emissions, provide climate financing and technology transfer for adaptation for the most vulnerable, and developing countries to lead by example.”
“We look forward to concrete outcomes at the Conference of Parties in Egypt later this year,” he said.
In June, Marcos said he was seriously considering his invitation to attend the UN Climate Change Conference’s 27th session of the Conference of the Parties in Egypt in November this year.
Marcos also vowed that the Philippine government would continue to do its part to avert what he described as a “collective disaster.”
“When future generations look back, let them not ask why we did not take this opportunity to turn the tide, why did we continue in our profligate ways, until it was too late? This threat knows no borders, no social class, nor any geopolitical consideration. How we address it will be the true test of our time,” he said.
In March 2017, the Philippines ratified the Paris climate pact — a worldwide effort to achieve a below 2-degrees Celsius increase in global temperatures.
The Philippines, which accounts for less than 1 percent of the world’s emissions, has committed to reducing its emissions by 70 percent by 2030.
In his first State of the Nation Address on July 25, Marcos also vowed to increase the Philippines’ use of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind to help slow down the effects of climate change.
Food Security
In his speech, Marcos also emphasized the importance of food as “the very basis of human security.”
“We need to take concrete steps towards modern and resilient agriculture. For food is not just a trade commodity nor is it just a livelihood. It is an existential imperative, and a moral one. It is the very basis of human security,” he said.
Marcos, who concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture, discussed the Philippines’ efforts to address problems in the agriculture sector such as providing innovative solutions and financial support to farmers and fishers to adopt new technologies and connect to national and global value supply chains.
He also expressed a desire to forge cooperation with the UN and other partners to boost agricultural productivity and food security.
“As host to 17 UN agencies, programs and funds, the Philippines strongly supports reforms to ensure that the UN Development System delivers as one through its UN Country Team,” he said.
World powers met Tuesday at the United Nations on how to address rising food insecurity, with dire warnings of a devastating harvest next year due to the war in Ukraine.
The United States joined the European Union, African Union and Spain for a meeting at the ministerial level on food prices, seen as a key factor in conflicts and instability.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the effects of rising prices in some of the world’s most vulnerable places, including Yemen, which has been devastated by eight years of war from which it is seeing a respite.
“As we’ve seen over the last years as a result of Covid, before that climate change and, more recently, conflict – notably Russia’s aggression against Ukraine – profound food insecurity touches well over 200 million people on this planet, including, of course, in Yemen,” Blinken said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
In a joint report in July, UN agencies, including UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization, said that between 702 million and 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021, or 9.8 percent of the world population.
Biodoversity
Marcos added that biodiversity must also be protected as part of joint efforts to preserve the planet.
“Water connects our world and sustains our existence, but it is also a finite resource that requires our stewardship. Equally important, our biodiversity must be protected amidst the continuing challenge of climate change. We must enhance our cooperation in these areas,” he said.
He recognized the crafting of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a platform where societies can build a future that is “resilient” and “inclusive.”
However, he also reminded nations to ensure that their development agenda takes into account the interest of all developing nations, including middle-income countries where the majority of the world’s poor lives.
Marcos said sustainability also meant equipping people with the tools necessary to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Investments in education are key, and my administration is prepared to make such investments. The Philippines notes with appreciation the Transforming Education Summit held earlier this week. At which these subjects were taken up,” he said.
He also stressed the creativity and innovation of the youth as a great renewable source.
“We understand the value of harnessing our people’s talents by creating a robust and creative economy. We will continue to work with partners in promoting this at the international level,” he added.
Marcos’ working visit to the US will be from Sept. 18 to 24.
On Monday, he met with the Filipino community in New Jersey, and attended the New York Stock Exchange Economic Forum on Tuesday.
Investments
Meanwhile, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual and US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo agreed to pursue key investments in power generation, mineral processing, and infrastructure in the Philippines.
In his meeting with Raimondo, Pascual emphasized the Philippines’ desire to attract more US investments in power generation, especially in the field of renewable energy such as geothermal, solar, and wind power for the Philippines.
This is in line with the government’s plan to address the energy supply and the rising cost of traditional power generation in the country through untapped resources.
Pascual agreed to an infrastructure business matching between the Philippines and the US as he also called for Raimondo’s support for the reauthorization of the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a preferential trade program that will allow duty-free privileges to Philippine-made products exported to the US.
Aside from scaling up the renewable energy sector, the Philippines also wants to explore investment opportunities in green metals in partnership with US firms.
“These investments are timely as we promote the e-vehicle industry and production of high technology products in the Philippines,” said Pascual.
He underscored the Philippines’ vast resources of nickel and cobalt which are key inputs for battery manufacturing, and copper, which is an important input for the production and manufacture of technology products.
Pascual highlighted key policy reforms that enable, among others, 100 percent foreign ownership in key sectors such as telecommunications, shipping, air carriers, railway, and subways.
“Attracting foreign investments into our country is a top priority of the new administration. We will build on recent policy reforms, particularly amendments to the Foreign Investments Act, Public Service Act, and Retail Trade Liberalization Act,” he said.
With the country’s participation in the US led Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), Pascual said the Philippines is looking forward to further engaging the US in promoting and generating investments while advocating labor rights, environment and good governance.