The question would therefore be: What’s in it for us in the Philippines?

For many Filipinos, climate change and sustainable development have been buzzwords to the point that some do not see where we can contribute to solve our issues.

Previous studies have shown that our country is one of the most vulnerable (if not the most vulnerable) to physical climate risks. The most recent example happened last year in the Visayas and Mindanao, particularly in places like in Misamis Occidental, where for the first time in many years, towns were flooded on the day after Christmas with devastating results, both physically and mentally.

There are some that contend that because we contribute less than one percent to the global greenhouse gas emissions each year, we should not be too aggressive on climate action and seek more help from more developed countries that contribute to more greenhouse gases and have more resources to address the climate problem.

However, doing little on climate action now will come to bite us back in the future, and we need to get serious about addressing this problem now more than ever.

According to data from international scientists last year, more than 50 percent of our national emissions come from electricity generation, with another 21 percent coming from transportation. We need to address these two challenges by switching to cleaner, more renewable sources of energy faster than current efforts if we can achieve a low-carbon transition that requires the support of the government, the private sector, and civil society.

Our government is highly urged to step up its efforts to address climate-related issues not just because it is an international commitment issue, but also an issue in the progress of the nation itself.

In 2021, the Department of Finance reported that national economic losses to our economy reached US$ 10 billion, or P506.1 billion over 10 years. A report by the World Bank predicts that the damage may reach 7.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 and 13.6 percent of GDP by 2040 in a business-as-usual scenario. It will impact sectors that are highly susceptible to climate change – agriculture and manufacturing. This means that we may have an even bigger food crisis if we do not adapt and mitigate now, which will lead to even more hardship for our farmers and fisherfolk that already need our help now.

For businesses, it is highly encouraged to determine where their carbon footprints are and become more innovative in finding better products and services that not only support a low-carbon transition but also a just transition. This means finding ways to empower our micro, small, and medium enterprises to develop new products that are environmentally friendly but still cost-effective and supported by the larger companies as their suppliers, for example.

Another is to consider transitioning from old business practices that may have financial sense but not in terms of the environment and society to ones that incorporate economic, environmental, and social value.

Our financial institutions should also continue to develop new ways to do transition, sustainability, and climate financing for those who really want to venture into this stream and create their own impact. Although only publicly listed companies and banking institutions are required to disclose their contributions to the environment and society through sustainability reporting, the expansion of identifying, assessing, monitoring, and implementing climate impacts to businesses regardless of size should be encouraged.

Lastly, the ordinary Juan or Juana should be eager to know and share more about what is happening to his or her community in terms of climate change and its impact on the surrounding environment and their neighbors. There should be more discussions on looking for new ideas on how to solve these problems, especially in areas that live near environmentally vulnerable areas. Knowledge from our indigenous peoples would also be highly valuable in addressing climate impacts, for they may have tested solutions that can be modernized and adapted to bigger areas with a possible minimal cost.

In situations like this, one can turn to the author Nick Joaquin who in 1988 wrote, “Have our capacities been so diminished by the small efforts we are becoming incapable even to the small things? Our present problems are surely not what might be called colossal or insurmountable – yet we stand helpless before them. As the population swells, those problems will expand and multiply. If they daunt us now, will they crush us then? The prospect is terrifying.”

Each and every strand of effort counts in the fight for climate action. Every global citizen, including the Filipino, will be needed to help. All we need is to firm up the things that we can do to achieve a greener, better Philippines.

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