By Leslie D. Venzon
MANILA, Nov. 11 (PNA) — The Philippines and other climate-vulnerable countries across regions have agreed to work together to initiate actions that will speed up efforts towards combating climate change by limiting temperature increase.
Climate Change Commission Acting Deputy Executive Director Jocelyn Goco said the Manila Communique, the output of the just concluded Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) senior officials meeting held here, emphasized the importance of national action while calling for greater global commitments to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable countries.
“We will strengthen our leadership in taking national climate actions to ensure progress towards the goal of staying below 1.5 °C, upscaling our own mitigation actions and accelerating our capacity development for adaptation,” Goco said in a Palace press briefing.
She said the 20-member CVF will work with developed countries to undertake actions on loss and damage consistent with the Warsaw International Mechanism to ensure developing countries are able to manage climate risks.
“We will call for the global community to hasten means by which vulnerable countries are able access predictable, scaled-up climate finance, while directing our own resources and capacities towards climate actions,” Goco added.
She said the CVF will take these collectively agreed actions to the major United Nations Climate Change Conference 2015 in Paris (COP21) next month.
“Inspired by our collective progress as vulnerable countries, we will bring our bold ambition to the world leaders, not as an end of a journey but a milestone towards a more prosperous and sustainable future,” added Goco.
The CVF is currently chaired by the Philippines which will continue to preside the Forum until mid-2016.
The Forum’s members also include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam. (PNA)