Noy to thank world leaders for Yolanda aid

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is expected to thank world leaders for supporting the country’s disaster relief efforts and to highlight the need for swift action on climate change during next week’s Climate Change Summit in New York.

Climate Change Commission head Lucille Sering said the summit would also be an opportunity for participants to relay the advantages of reducing emissions.

“We want to take it as an opportunity to really thank the international community for the support they have given us and are continuously giving us,” Sering told The STAR on the sidelines of a forum in Taguig.

“The appeal would be for the world to address what science requires,” she added.

A devastating earthquake and a super typhoon devastated many parts of the Visayas in October and November last year.

Sering said the President is also likely to discuss the measures being done to mitigate the impact of a changing climate.

“We want to show our policies that are very proactive, like renewable energy. Even if we are not required to reduce emission, we are taking advantage of the opportunities of climate change,” Sering said

“We will act on the problem of climate change, not just on humanitarian aid but also on the more long-term solutions,” she added.

Natural disasters have been blamed on climate change, caused largely by carbon emissions produced by human activities.

Some critics, however, question the link between human activities and climate aberrations, noting that there is no scientific consensus yet on the matter.

Skeptics also decried what they called “climate change alarmism,” which they believe is being peddled by groups with interests in the so-called green investments.

Amid clashing views on the issue, President Aquino is scheduled to speak during the Climate Change Summit on Sept. 23 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The UN has invited world leaders from government, business and civil society to attend the event “to galvanize and catalyze climate action.”

More than 120 heads of state are expected to attend the summit, making it the largest gathering seeking to tackle climate change.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked the leaders “to bring bold announcements and actions” to the summit.

“This is a preparation (for the crafting of a) legal instrument by 2015 next. This is like a pep rally,” Sering said.

The skepticism on the link between climate change and human activity is rooted in economic implications, she added.

“If it will hurt their business why should they do something about it? It is really about survival. At a certain degree, it is understandable,” Sering said. 

“But all of the gains they have right now will be eventually wiped out if not reduced every time there is a disaster.”

Sering said there is no such skepticism among Philippine businesses.

“There is a lot of cooperation from the private sector. It (climate change mitigation) remains to be under their CSR (corporate social responsibility) but it’s a good start. They are now beginning to understand they need to integrate this more in their plans as part of their business risks,” she said.

Touching base

President Aquino will be reminiscing his family’s exile in Boston 33 years ago when he visits the US right after his four-nation European tour. He will deliver a policy speech at Harvard University.

“As the President has spent many years in Boston with his family, the first few activities will basically be personal visits to old friends,” Foreign Affairs assistant secretary Maria Andrelita Austria told a news briefing in Malacañang yesterday.