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Legarda Urges Vulnerable Nations Take Climate Action Ahead of Paris Agreement Enforcement
Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call for climate vulnerable nations to take urgent climate action even as the world waits for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to take effect.
Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, made the statement during her opening speech at the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) High-Level Climate Policy Forum held at the Philippine Senate today, August 15, 2016.
“We cannot wait for the Agreement to take effect before we take action. We must continue to rally our respective states and the community of nations to take urgent climate action because global warming will not halt as institutions and nations all over the world debate whether to ratify or not,” she stressed.
She added, “Although we are not major emitters of global greenhouse gas (GHG), we cannot let our respective economies grow through the ways that caused today’s climate crisis; we cannot let human society live in a world fraught with dangers.”
At present, 22 of the 197 Parties to the Convention have ratified the Paris Agreement, but they represent only 1.08% of GHG emissions. In order for the Agreement to take effect, at least 55 nations representing 55% of global GHG emissions must ratify it.
The CVF High-Level Climate Policy Forum was also the venue for the ceremonial turnover of CVF Presidency from the Philippines to Ethiopia.
Legarda expressed optimism that with the unequivocal support of every member, Ethiopia will continue to steer the CVF towards the Forum’s common goal of being the voice of reason in the climate negotiations and asserting the rights of vulnerable nations.
“The 2015 Paris Agreement has been hailed by many as a landmark agreement, but its aspirations will not happen on its own. This is where the role of the CVF becomes even more crucial,” said Legarda.
“We strive for 1.5°C to thrive and we can do this together. The dream of a safer world needs the cooperation of all countries, and of every man, woman, and child. If we start today, there is no promise that we will be lucky enough to see the undoing of the damage within our lifetime, but at least, we leave our world with the gift of hope for a better, kinder future,” Legarda concluded.
Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, headed by Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman, led the event attended by CVF Troika Plus and CVF-V20 member ministers and senior officials, CVF expert advisors, legislators, high-level policymakers, and resource experts.
The CVF also launched the Low Carbon Monitor, a global report on the impacts of a warming climate and the crucial path towards low-emissions development.
The CVF is a group of 43 developing countries that are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of climate change. It is the primary international cooperation body where developing countries from any region collaborate in order to advance their common issues at international level.
