RP urged to follow Mauritius, FSM lead

MANILA, Philippines – Island nations such as the Philippines are the first to be affected by climate change.

“Islands may even go under water and disappear forever,” said Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) president Antonio M. Clarapols, “The Philippines is an archipelago composed of 7,107 islands. We could be in peril that is why we have to take concrete action against global warming now and fast.”

Among the island nations active in preserving the environment and fighting against climate change are Mauritius and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Both countries have recently been honored with the Climate Protection Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for their outstanding contribution to climate protection under the Montreal Protocol ozone treaty.

“We should follow their lead,” Clarapols said.

Both countries collaborated on a joint proposal addressing the ozone-depleting substances that reside in old equipment, and that would otherwise leak out and contribute to the ozone hole and climate change.