Climate Change and Public Policy in the Philippines

Climate change and public policy in the Philippine Setting

1. CLIMATE CHANGE AND PUBLIC POLICY Beyond reduce, reuse and recycle

2. WHAT WE‘LL COVER Understanding Climate Change National and Local Climate Change Policies Mitigation Strategies: Reducing Carbon Emissions Adaptation Strategies: Building Resilience The Role of Public Policy in Climate Action

3. UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE? •Identifiable change in the climate of Earth as a whole that lasts for an extended period of time (decades or longer) When due to natural processes, it is usually referred to as global climate variability Usually refers to changes forced by human activities that change the atmosphere

4. WHAT CAUSES EARTH’S CLIMATE TO CHANGE? -Changes in the atmosphere -Natural processes Volcanoes Tectonic plate movement Changes in the sun Shifts in Earth’s orbit -Human activities – any activity that releases “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere

5. WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN? Warming and sea level rise will continue and will probably occur more quickly than what we’ve already seen Even if greenhouse gases are stabilized, this will probably continue to occur for centuries For every degree your thermometer rises, the air holds about seven percent more moisture. This increase in moisture in the atmosphere can produce flash floods, more destructive hurricanes, and even paradoxically, stronger snow storms.

6. HOW ABOUT IN THE PHILIPPINES? Using a mid-range emissions scenario, the climate projections done by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for 2020 and 2050 indicate that all areas of the Philippines will get warmer, with largest increase in temperatures in the summer months of March, April and May (MAM). The unique geographical position of the Philippines, situated within the Northwestern Pacific Basin, the world's most active tropical cyclone region, renders the country and its local communities exceptionally susceptible to a multitude of climate-related hazards.

7. In response to the urgency for action on climate change, the Philippines passed Republic Act 9729, also known as the Climate Change Act of 2009. NATIONAL AND LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES

8. RA 9729 provides, among others the following: Establishment of a Climate Change Commission (CCC), an independent and autonomous body that has the same status as that of a national government agency. The CCC is under the Office of the President and is the “sole policy-making body of the government which shall be tasked to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the programs and action plans of the government relating to climate change pursuant to the provisions of this Act.” (Section 4).

9. The Commission shall be composed of the President of the Republic of the Philippines who shall serve as the Chairman, and three (3) Commissioners to be appointed by the President, one of whom shall serve as the Vice Chairperson of the Commission. (Section 5) The LGUs as frontline agencies in the formulation, planning and implementation of climate change action plans in their respective areas, shall formulate their Local Climate Change Action Plan (Section 14) Inter-local government unit collaboration shall be maximized in the conduct of climate- related activities. (Section 14)

10. The NCCAP serves as the overarching policy framework for CCAM efforts across all levels of the Philippine government from 2011 to 2028. It is structured into three distinct six-year intermediate phases that coincide with the terms of the national administration and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP). THE NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN

11. These three six-year mid-term plans outline the specific programs and strategies for adaptation and mitigation that provide key actions that: enhances adaptive capacity and resilience of communities and natural ecosystems to climate change; adopts the total economic valuation of natural resources while ensuring biodiversity conservation; and recognizes the competitive advantage of putting a value on the direct use, indirect use, option to use, and non-use of environment and natural resources as a short to long-term sustainable development goals THE NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN

12. SEVEN THEMATIC PRIORITIES OF THE NCCAP

13. SEVEN THEMATIC PRIORITIES OF THE NCCAP

14. LEAD IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES FOR HUMAN SECURITY AND KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

15. PSF specifically for climate change adaptation project. This fund provides financial support to LGUs and accredited Local Community Organizations (LCOs) for implementing Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) projects. THE CREATION OF THE PEOPLE'S SURVIVAL FUND (PSF)

16. SAMPLE OF CCA PROJECTS THAT THE PSF CAN FINANCE

17. LIST OF CCA PROJECTS APPROVED FOR PSF FUNDING FROM 2015 TO 2022

18. The NCCAP, consistent with the NFSCC, aims to build the adaptive capacities of women and men in their communities, increase the resilience of vulnerable sectors and natural ecosystems to climate change. Considering its geographical location, the Philippines and its local communities are particularly vulnerable to several adverse climate change impacts that may damage ecosystems and cause biodiversity loss that affects the country’s environment, culture, and economy CONCLUSION

19. At the national level, varying appreciation of CCA strategies across government institutions and vague provisions of roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities of various key implementers in the NCCAP were noted. The fiscal autonomy of LGUs exacerbates the challenges in translating national climate change policies into local-level policies and development plans. Inadequate policy integration and coordination of national climate change strategies are evident in national and local level policies and development plans. CONCLUSION

20. Aligned Policy Choice is vital to counter climate change is essential for effective and sustainable solutions. Aligned policies ensure that efforts are focused, resources are efficiently utilized, and strategies are complementary rather than conflicting. When policies across sectors, such as energy, transportation, agriculture, and finance, are harmonized, they create a coherent framework for reducing emissions, promoting renewable energy, and enhancing climate resilience. CONCLUSION

21. THANK YOU “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Native American Proverb