BBM presses COP28 agenda
At the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009, rich countries committed to mobilizing $100 billion per year in climate money for developing countries
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At the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009, rich countries committed to mobilizing $100 billion per year in climate money for developing countries
Unity stance Southeast Asian leaders (from left) Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, Laotian PM Sonexay Siphandone, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodian PM Hun Manet, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, and East Timor leader Xanana Gusmao clasp hands for the customary photo ops during the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday, 5 September. | Agence France-Presse
JAKARTA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday urged rich nations to back their climate change commitments with action and resources in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking before the 43rd ASEAN Summit Plenary, Marcos warned that climate change poses the most urgent threat to disaster-prone nations in the region, especially the Philippines.
He stressed that the ill effects of climate change are already being felt around the world in the form of more frequent and intense storms, floods, and droughts.
"At COP28, ASEAN must call on developed countries to heighten the implementation of their commitments," Marcos said. "These commitments include climate finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity building."
"We need these resources to prevent, mitigate, manage, and adapt to the impacts of climate change," he pointed out, adding that the Philippines will continue to prioritize international cooperation that will make ASEAN climate-smart and disaster-ready.
At the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009, rich countries committed to mobilizing $100 billion per year in climate money for developing countries. This promise was reaffirmed at the following climate summits, including the 2015 COP21 in Paris.
$16.7B gap
The wealthier countries, however, have yet to fulfill this vow. In 2020, they only offered $83.3 billion in climate financing to developing countries, representing a $16.7 billion gap vis-a-vis their original pledge.
COP stands for Conference of the Parties. It is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC.
The COP meets every year to review the implementation of the UNFCCC and decide how to address climate change. The first meeting was held in Berlin in 1995.
Since then, there have been 27 COPs, with the most recent one held in Glasgow in 2021. The COP28 climate summit will be held in Dubai in November 2023.
The UAE meet, set from 30 November to 12 December this year, will also give countries the chance to expedite the transition to sustainable energy, safeguard forests, and adapt to climate change.
Meanwhile, President Marcos said the Philippines will work closely with its neighbors to harness the transformative potential of the agricultural sector to ensure food security.
"The continued effectiveness of our community-building efforts rests on a clear assessment of our strengths," Marcos said. "The Philippines will continue to champion for change that will strengthen our institutions, improve our decision-making, and uphold ASEAN centrality."
'26 ASEAN chair
During the plenary, Marcos announced the Philippines' readiness to chair the ASEAN in 2026.
"We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter," he said.
ASEAN, which stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, comprises 10 countries in Southeast Asia, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Philippines last chaired ASEAN in 2017, during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
After the 43rd Summit, Indonesia will pass on the ASEAN chairmanship to Laos.
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