Arroyo: Philippines most in danger from climate change

COPENHAGEN – Addressing the climate summit here Thursday, President Arroyo stressed the vulnerability of the Philippines to extreme weather events, but curiously stopped short of joining the clamor from other developing countries for increased international funding that will allow poor nations to cope with the negative impact of climate change. Arroyo cited a United Nations study that showed the Philippines as one of the top 12 countries in the world facing the greatest risk from hurricanes and other natural disasters. “In fact we top the list of nations most in danger of facing more frequent and more intense storms when the impact of climate change intensifies," she said. Mrs. Arroyo noted that the recent destruction from tropical cyclones Ondoy and Pepeng caused an estimated $4.4 billion in damage to the country’s most populous regions of metropolitan Manila and urban centers in the northern Philippines.

A copy of her draft speech distributed by a palace official earlier called for “scaled-up, new, and additional sources of support for adaptation" and supported the demand from developing countries “for the allocation of at least 1 per cent of Annex 1 GDP to finance adaptation for developing countries." However, these were dropped in her final speech. Annex 1 refers to industrialized countries that have signed up to legal commitments to reduce their carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, in view of their historical role in polluting the atmosphere since the start of the industrial era two centuries ago. Rich nations need to reduce emissions She called on rich countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions and assist poor countries in coping with climate change, but did not mention any specific figures. “For an equitable outcome, developed countries need to lead in reducing emissions. A robust financial mechanism must also be established to meet the needs of the costs of adaptation for developing countries and for effective development and transfer of technology," Arroyo said. An unprecedented 119 heads of state and governments arrived in Denmark this week to increase pressure on negotiators to reach agreement on new measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions after 2012, when the first commitment period for binding targets under the Kyoto Protocol expires. Mrs. Arroyo, who has been criticized by conservation activists for pushing the growth of the mining industry at the expense of the natural environment, urged other countries to look at the worldwide economic crisis as an opportunity to consider eco-friendly solutions. “It is time to harmonize economic development with environmental protection in a new global order where they are not mutually exclusive, but where they are ideally synonymous," she added. “It is time all countries of the world owned up to our collective responsibilities," she stressed. Despite the Philippines’ low pollution levels, Mrs. Arroyo said the government has set a goal for the further reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions. “Our emission is only 1.6 tons per capita and we are further committed to deviate by 20 per cent from our business as usual emissions growth path," Mrs. Arroyo said. The Philippines contributes a minuscule 0.3 percent of the world’s carbon emissions despite the fact that it is the 12th most populous nation on earth, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI). This means that the average Filipino generates less than a ton of carbon emissions per year, or less than what an average citizen from a developed country produces in a month. Adaptation fund Additional money for the Adaptation Fund, a financial mechanism for the benefit of developing countries that are suffering from extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change, is one of the sticking points in the current climate talks. The Adaptation Fund is taken from a two per cent levy on Clean Development Mechanism projects, a strategy under the Kyoto Protocol that allows industrialized countries to meet their carbon targets by financing environment-friendly initiatives in developing countries. As of September, revenues from the levy have reached more than $20 million, according to a financial report from the Adaptation Fund board. Developing nations have said the current levels of funding are hardly enough to relocate affected villages, build more resilient infrastructure, and undertake other measures that will help them cope with changing weather patterns as a result of atmospheric pollution from energy-intensive activities in rich countries. African countries have proposed “new, substantial and sustained public funding from developed countries, with an annual scale not less than 2.5 % of the GNP of developed countries" in the climate summit. Around $250 billion per year is needed to finance global action in adapting to climate change and reducing carbon emissions, according to official estimates from the United Nations secretariat in charge of the conference. Mrs. Arroyo emphasized the need to reach an agreement on climate change. “We come to Copenhagen in partnership with other nations to find a way to meet the harsh impacts of climate change and avert a global climate crisis," she said. “We cannot afford to leave Copenhagen without a deal, and a deal based on common but differentiated responsibilities," she added. – GMANews.TV