Although it only accounts for about 0.3% of global emissions, the Philippines is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and disasters due to its geographic location.
In line with this, we talked to our counterparts in The Climate Reality Project in the US to lay out what’s at stake for the country in the ongoing #COP26 in Glasgow.
Corporate directors in the Philippines explored opportunities to accelerate climate action and resilience in coastal communities, as world leaders underscore greater climate action from the private sector in the ongoing climate talks in Glasgow. Business officials were presented with corridors where they could contribute to meeting the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming threshold set in the Paris Agreement.
The Climate Reality Project Philippines launched today its energy literacy campaign called Murang Kuryente, Masiglang Pamayanan in line with its efforts to sustain the momentum gained by renewable energy development in the country in the past year.
The launch coincides with the global day of action led by former US Vice President Al Gore, founder and chairperson of The Climate Reality Project, entitled “24 Hours of Reality: Let’s Get Real.” The goal of this global movement is to rally people around the world to demand the real policy change required to cut fossil fuel emissions and transition to a just clean-energy economy.
Corporate directors stress the urgency to fast track the energy transition in the country, heeding the Code Red warning issued by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) earlier this year.
“Evidence clearly shows even before the pandemic that coal has been intermittent and unreliable. As households and the private sector struggle with the economic impacts of COVID-19, data also shows coal is the reason behind spiking electricity bills and rotating blackouts. Continuing with coal is Code Red for businesses,” said Jephraim Manansala, chief data scientist of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), in the first part of the Pilipinas: Aspire, Rise, Sustain corporate governance series organized by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) with ICSC and The Climate Reality Project Philippines.
In our Manila Bulletin column Eleventh Hour this week, Pinoy Climate Reality Leaders Keith Ancheta and Niña Catipon wrote about maintaining optimism in the face of the climate crisis.
They urge those who are losing hope in humanity to find inspiration in the climate actions and initiatives spewing from the determination of the youth to change things around and create a better reality for all.
Time is running out to save the world from the catastrophic impacts of climate change but there is no time for despair. Climate and environmental actions must continue if we want to ensure a livable planet for the generations to come.
This was communicated during the 15th episode of The Climate Reality Project Philippines’ Klimatotohanan webcast series entitled “Power Relay: Race to a Better Reality” by climate activists fighting for a just and accelerated clean energy transition in one of the world’s biggest polluting countries.
