24 February 2023 – Students, barangay officials and other stakeholders went through a fast-tracked but detailed report on climate change, ways forward and actions during the first climate change summit, second presentation last Feb. 22 at the Baguio Cultural and Convention Center.
Presenter Engr. Ester Aguilar of the Environment Management Bureau (EMB-CAR) summed it up with the individual and communities’ change of behavior to effectively manage climate change. Briefly defined, a change in climate is attributed directly to natural variability or a result of human activity.
Majority of the audience who are students, actively engaged with the presentation, and actively participated in the workshop that followed.
Engr. Aguilar also pointed out Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) head Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga’s posting: “The Philippines will be reframing its climate change and disaster risk management plan based on a science-based, data-driven and systems approach.”
Baguio’s first climate change summit is a big step towards actions, it was agreed.
Ways forward versus global warming and climate change include: internal review and assessment, revisit of data, assumptions and parameters for forestry protection and management, rehabilitation and reforestation including the national greening program (NGP); municipal solid waste management/local area composting, landfill and gas capture. Wastewater management through treatment facilities, and reduced emissions from industrial processes in cement and glass are also looked into.
Other ongoing initiatives are; shift to low global warming potential refrigerants including air conditioning; introduction of clean and efficient cook stove and control of open burning; assessment of requirements for the identified mitigation options; and adaptation concepts for ecosystem resilience and ecological integrity, and joint crediting mechanism and bilateral mechanisms.
Aguilar then reviewed events that show support to climate change: former President Duterte’s signing of the Paris agreement in February 2017, and RA 10174 better known as the people’s survival fund – ensuring the funds in the national treasury for adaptation programs and projects to address the problem of climate change.
The Paris agreement focused on having 187 countries announcing climate change plans, long-term goal for net zero carbon this century, strengthened climate action every five years, enhanced transparency and accountability, adaptation to help the most vulnerable, and financial support for the least developed countries, including the Philippines.
The climate change act of 2009 or RA 9729, which establishes the framework, strategy and program on climate change, and creating the climate change commission was also reviewed.
According to Aguilar, global responses to climate change (Kyoto Protocol) include being adopted by 10,000 delegates in Kyoto; being ratified by 169 countries; a target of 5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries in 2012; and no reduction requirements in developing countries.
Earlier, a United Nations framework convention on climate change was signed by 154 heads of states/representatives in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. All members were then mandated to have greenhouse gas emissions and develop strategies to adapt to and mitigate effects of climate change.
A presentation of natural and human enhanced greenhouse effects was also done.
Other presentations are the responses to climate change, a cycle of climate change, consequences, natural and human systems, emissions, mitigation, responses and adaptation, as with impacts to coastal and marine ecosystem, agriculture, water resources, forests/biodiversity, and human health.
Worldwide deforestation, increasing industry activity, motor vehicle emission, waste management and intensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; and the three main human sources of GHG; energy and industrial processes; transportation; land use, agriculture and forestry were also shown by Engr. Aguilar.
The students thus underwent a workshop where their ideas on responses, consequences, adaptation, mitigation for climate change were presented and expounded. **JGF
