Over the years, the Philippines has become a strong voice at the annual Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is in part because of the country’s vulnerability to climate change. In recent years, strong typhoons have coincided with the COP’s, a statement in itself of the need for governments to address climate change urgently.
In 2013, then Climate Change Commissioner and head of Philippine delegation Naderev “Yeb” Sano made a moving and emotional speech at the COP plenary in Warsaw, addressing governments to “stop this madness.” Sano made his speech while the Haiyan was battering the Philippines, which eventually left at least 7,000 people dead.
During Sano’s term as head of delegation, the Philippines founded and joined a negotiating group called the Like Minded Developing Countries. Negotiating blocs are countries with the same principles that negotiate together inside the UNFCCC. The LMDC is composed of oil producing countries such as Malaysia, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia and known for having a strong stand on “Common But Differentiated Responsibilities”.
CBDR, historical emissions, and Duterte’s stand
CBDR is a principle that recognizes the different contributions of developed and developing countries to environmental problems. Specifically in the UNFCCC, CBDR takes into consideration historical responsibilities of countries based on greenhouse gas emissions. The United States, Japan, and European Union, for example, have more responsibility than the Philippines because historically, their GHG emissions are way higher. According to the World Research Institute, the United States ranks first out of 185 countries in historical carbon emissions from 1850-2012, as compared to the Philippines who ranks 54th out of 185. From 2012, the United States has ranked second to China, contributing 14.4 percent of global GHG emissions.
For many environmentalists, CBDR is synonymous to climate justice as it makes those who are responsible for man-made climate change accountable to countries that have not contributed much but are experiencing its impact.
Much of the Philippines’ stand changed when Sano was removed from being the Philippines’ head of delegation in COP 20 in Lima last 2014. The Philippines pulled out of the LMDC and pushed for other key issues in the negotiations instead: inclusion of human rights and the 1.5 degrees target on global warming. The Philippines started leading the Climate Vulnerable Forum, an advocacy group of more than 40 vulnerable countries, in pushing for the ambitious global target.
However, with the current Duterte administration, the Philippines is once again calling for CBDR. This is in line with the President’s statements on the Paris Agreement. The President has had apprehensions about ratifying the climate treaty with the belief that only big polluting countries such as the United States must be asked to cut down their carbon emissions. He also believes that the Philippines needs dirty energy such as coal to develop economically. Duterte has been quoted in saying that the Paris Agreement is “stupid,” “crazy,” and “absurd.”
The previous administration has submitted its voluntary pledges to the UNFCCC last year, saying the country will reduce its emissions by 70 percent in 2030, based on a business as usual model. This means that the country volunteered to lower its emissions based on projections of how much the economy will grow by 2030. These commitments are seen by Duterte as “stifling” the Philippines in its development.
A job for all countries
Two weeks ago, after a cabinet meeting, the President said that he would sign the Paris Agreement. This was seen as a big step forward for the Philippines, who might lose its voice and credibility inside the UNFCCC if it doesn’t ratify the climate treaty.
While it is crucial and important for big polluting countries to take the lead in cutting their carbon emissions, climate change is now a problem everyone has to solve. The Philippines wants to remind countries like the United States and the European Union to do its fair share of work when it comes to climate action—and rightly so. Those who polluted more must do more. This, however, does not excuse us from doing our own homework.
The Philippines may not be a big carbon emitter, but the world is slowly transitioning to a more sustainable, cleaner form of development and one that is not dependent on dirty energy. It is not a question of if, it is a question of when. Is the Philippines ready for change, as the President has repeatedly promised his people, or will it only be lip service when it comes to climate change?
While the Philippine delegation calls for CBDR inside the UN climate negotiations this week, the rest of the world is also still waiting for the Philippines to show its commitment to serious climate action. Climate change will not wait for anyone and as we all know, it will certainly not wait for the Philippines to be ready before it hits.