Duterte to consider declaring ‘climate emergency’

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will consider declaring a “climate emergency” given that mitigating the effects of climate change is high on his agenda.

Malacañang gave the assurance after Greenpeace Philippines prodded the President to declare a climate emergency to help the country achieve its goals under the Paris Agreement.

“That (climate change) is on top of the President’s agenda. The President will consider this suggestion made by Greenpeace,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Greenpeace called for an executive order declaring a climate emergency to allow the country’s rapid and just transition to a low-carbon pathway through the phaseout of coal and fossil fuel investment.

Roque noted that Mr. Duterte discussed climate change in his address to the United Nations General Assembly last week.

“The fact that the President included that in his first speech in the UN General Assembly truly shows that he gives importance to the problem of climate change,” Roque said.

He added that the Philippines is one of the countries most affected by climate change.

In his UN speech, the President said the world must deal with the problem of climate change as urgently as the raging new coronavirus pandemic.

He also called on parties to the Paris Agreement to comply with its terms, stressing that developing nations like the Philippines suffer the most from climate change.

The President signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change Instrument of Accession in 2017.