The National Economic and Development Authority said over the weekend it will try to convince President Rodrigo Duterte to acknowledge the Paris agreement on climate change signed by the vulnerable and developed countries together with the United Nations last year.
Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia told reporters Neda along with the Climate Change Commission would also try to convince other government agencies to show their support for the Climate Change Agreement, which aimed to mitigate the emission of harmful gases to limit global warming.
Pernia said Duterte’s acknowledgment of the Paris accord was expected to lead to the ratification of the funding needed to fully participate in the deal.
“We will sign. We will convince him [Duterte]. If the predominant number of agencies signed, then it will be difficult for him not to sign,” Pernia said.
Duterte earlier expressed his strong opposition to the Paris agreement, saying it would hinder the industrialization efforts of the Philippines.
“We have not reached the age of industrialization. We are going into it. But you are trying to [cite an] agreement that will impose limitations on us. We maintain the present emission. That’s stupid,” Duterte said earlier. “I will not honor that.”
Former Finance Sectary Cesar Purisima said earlier the Philippines along with other vulnerable countries in the world were expected to lose about $400 billion if stronger measures were not implemented to mitigate destructive effects of climate change.
Purisima, who chaired the V20 group under the previous administration, said the initial annual losses of $45 billion since 2010 were expected to escalate to $400 billion in the next 20 years.
Purisima said the possible losses could account for at least 2.5 percent of the GDP of the vulnerable countries.
Purisima cited a possible sea level rise that would partially or completely submerge the island nations of Kiribati, Maldive and Tuvalu and displace at least 500,000 people.
He said the inundation of 17 percent of land areas and the displacement of about 18 million people by 2050 in the case of Bangladesh would be more likely.
The V20 group was founded in October 2015 in Lima, Peru composed by finance ministers of countries that are so-called the most vulnerable to climate change.
