New Zealand reaffirms climate change support

The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), in partnership with the New Zealand embassy, last week held a meeting with key stakeholders for the second State of Climate Change forum at the Makati Diamond Residences.

No less than New Zealand Climate Change Ambassador Stuart Horne attended the meeting last week to reaffirm New Zealand’s commitment to support the Philippines in advancing climate solutions.

In his remarks, Ambassador Horne assured that New Zealand is committed to working alongside the Philippines in building climate resilience through cooperation and innovation to “create solutions that not only protect communities, but also drive economic growth and investment.”

New Zealand, he said, remains committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement even in the face of the United States’ decision to withdraw from the global accord to combat climate change.

His country, he said, submitted its first Biennial Transparency Report in December last year, and in February was among the earliest countries to release their second nationally determined contribution.

He acknowledged that the problem of climate change requires global partnerships, “but we also understand that how we partner is just as important as what we deliver. We are working hard to support like-minded countries – including the Philippines – in achieving their climate priorities.”

New Zealand, he said, “has consistently championed innovative, flexible and high-trust models with our partners. We are committed to working alongside the Philippines in building climate resilience. Through cooperation and innovation, we can create solutions that not only protect communities, but also drive economic growth and investment.”

This was evident, he said, during New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon’s visit to the Philippines in April last year. Luxon was accompanied by a trade delegation and there were a number of climate focused outcomes. These included:

• A hydrogen cooperation agreement among Tuaropaki Trust, its Japanese partner Obayashi Corp. and Philippine geothermal giant Energy Development Corp. (EDC). The trilateral agreement is the first of its kind.

• Morrison Global also announced it had recently decided to invest in a Philippines renewable energy company.

• Creative HQ and Plant and Food Research respectively signed contracts with national and local Philippine government departments, and the Asian Development Bank in the areas of government innovation and climate smart agriculture.

At the government to government level, Horne continued, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos also committed to “discuss the development of a potential Memorandum of Arrangement” relating to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

At COP29 in November last year, he added, the governments of New Zealand and the Philippines went further and committed to develop a bilateral climate change cooperation arrangement “to support our countries to achieve our respective climate change goals. Work to progress this is well under way and will see us deepening our cooperation to share information, experiences and best practices on a range of climate change policies and initiatives.”

New Zealand, he said, also works closely with the Philippines to support its climate ambitions. One way New Zealand does this is through the Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative which has been operational in the Philippines since 2020.

The Philippine project, he said, seeks to support reduction of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by developing national agriculture emissions measurement and regional leadership capability. It enables the Philippines to accurately record GHG emissions and work toward meeting its NDC target to reduce GHG emissions by 75 percent compared to business-as-usual emissions in 2030.

The last 12 months, Horne said, has seen a focus on training Filipino scientists, students and officials whom he met in New Zealand last month and once again during Monday’s meeting.

While in Manila last year, Horne also pointed out, “our Prime Minister also announced a $25-million contribution to the Manila-headquartered ADB’s Energy Transition Mechanism. This contribution supports the clean energy transition in the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, and comes under New Zealand’s Climate Finance Strategy. Its current focus is providing technical support for the retirement of the Mindanao Coal Fired Power Plant.”

He ended his remarks by stressing, “We have an opportunity now to build upon a solid foundation, enabling us to reach our respective goals. We are working at a vital time and see the potential to do more together.”

This year’s forum, themed “Advancing Private Sector Engagement and the National Adaptation Plan,” focused on strengthening partnerships between the private sector, government and civil society to build climate resilience in the Philippines.

In his keynote address, Climate Change Commission vice chairperson and executive director Robert Borje emphasized the vital role of collaboration in addressing climate challenges. In his address, he pointed out that accelerating climate action and resilience demands the strong participation of the private sector and international partners, and that preventing losses and damages “starts with turning our adaptation plans into tangible solutions, with the private sector stepping up as a driving force in building a climate-resilient future.”

A panel discussion featuring Secretary Borje, Ambassador Horne, and San Miguel Corp. foundation chair Cecile Ang explored how businesses can drive climate action. The discussion highlighted successful private sector initiatives in climate adaptation, mitigation and disaster resilience – with speakers emphasizing that climate action cannot succeed without business engagement.

“The private sector has the resources, expertise and networks to make a significant impact,” said Ang.

“By investing in sustainable practices and supporting community resilience, businesses can help secure a safer, more sustainable future for everyone.”

The forum concluded with a renewed commitment from PDRF to continue working closely with the New Zealand Embassy, the Philippine government and the private sector to accelerate climate resilience initiatives.