Philippine Climate Commission Integrates Human Rights into Climate Strategy
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) declared on Wednesday that the Philippine government is ensuring that its strategies for adapting to and mitigating climate change are grounded in the principles of human rights. This announcement came as the nation seeks to bolster its response to the increasingly evident impacts of global climate change.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Climate Change Commission, CCC Vice Chairman and Executive Director Robert Borje emphasized the intrinsic connection between human rights and climate change during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing. Borje highlighted that the nation’s climate change action, influenced by the Climate Change Act, the People Survival Fund, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan, is inherently about safeguarding the fundamental right to life and freedom from fear.
The CCC’s crafted actions, policies, and projects aim to protect the lives and livelihoods of Filipinos, aligning with the commission’s mandate. Concurrently, United Nations Special Rapporteur Ian Fry is visiting the Philippines to investigate the effects of climate change on human rights and the security of environmental advocates. The Philippines, despite contributing a minimal 0.5 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, faces significant risks from climate change repercussions.
Fry’s inspection is comprehensive, addressing loss and damage, the effects of climate displacement, intergenerational justice, legal responses, and gender-specific climate programs. The government has been acknowledged for engaging youth in climate-related policy-making and activities. Following his 10-day review, Fry is slated to present his findings to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2024.
Looking ahead, the CCC is collaborating with lawmakers to ensure national resources are accurately accounted for and valued. Efforts are underway to enhance local government units’ abilities to confront climate challenges. This is in line with commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, which dictate that national efforts should include climate finance, technology development, and capacity building supported by developed countries.
The Philippines has instituted a National Climate Change Action Plan and a Local Climate Change Action Plan, as well as a National Framework Strategy for Climate Change. Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s leadership, the CCC is developing a National Adaptation Plan and a Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan, targeting a 75 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the CCC is concluding a greenhouse gas inventory for 2015 and 2020 and is in the process of finalizing guidelines for certifying green jobs, aimed at incentivizing the private sector to move towards a low carbon economy.