RP to push 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050

The Philippine government is set to push for a shift from fossil fuel-dependent energy to renewable energy and endorse at least 50 percent reduction of emissions by 2050 during the global conference on climate change in Poznan, Poland starting next week.

Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change Secretary Heherson Alvarez said the Philippine position, called the Climate Change Declaration, is the output of the Carbon-Cutting Congress versus Climate Change that was held last Nov. 20 at Malacañang Palace. 

Alvarez will head the Philippine delegation that will present the Philippine position in the 14th Session of the Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP-14) in Poznan, Poland from Dec. 1-12, 2008.

The Philippine delegation will leave this weekend for Poland, where nations are expected to agree on a new global treaty to cut emissions when the Kyoto Protocol expires by 2012.

“The Philippines is one of the least culpable countries for global warming and climate change and yet remains one of the most vulnerable to sea level rise and highly destructive typhoons and inordinate rainfalls,” Alvarez, a former senator and secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said.

“Access to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allows Annex 1 nations to fund carbon-cutting projects in non-Annex 1 countries like the Philippines, must be enhanced,” he added.

Aside from the 50 percent reduction of emissions by 2050 and shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy, the Philippine delegation is expected to advocate in the Poland summit for a new financial mechanism and incentives to improve investment flows to non-Annex 1 nations, including developing countries, to help generate green jobs and revenues to finance priority adaptation measures.        – Katherine Adraneda