OXFAM REACTIVE: On the Philippines' ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Oxfam lauds President Rodrigo Duterte and the Philippine Senate for cementing the Philippines’ leading role in serving as the voice of the poorest, lowest-emitting and most vulnerable people in the world by finally ratifying the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

“We look forward to the implementation of the Paris Agreement through the government’s commitment to financing and supporting projects that would help communities adapt to a warming planet as the country shifts towards a greener development path,” said Oxfam Country Director Richard Mawer.

“In the Philippines, rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions have proven devastating to farmers and fisherfolk, who have been left with lesser harvests. Poor rural women farmers face greater risks during disaster situations. With the ratification of the Paris Agreement, we hope the government would continue prioritizing the situation of groups most vulnerable to the harsh realities of climate change.” Mawer added.

Oxfam recognizes that the climate pact is not perfect. In the international stage, we call on the Philippine government to continue engaging other nations in addressing gaps in the treaty and push developed countries to fulfill their obligations to provide financial and technical support for climate-vulnerable countries like the Philippines.

During the negotiations in Paris, the Philippines led the Climate Vulnerable Forum – an international partnership of more than 40 countries highly vulnerable to climate change in pushing rich, high-emitting countries limit global warming to “well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Call on the Philippine government to uphold and implement and Paris Agreement by signing the petition: https://act.oxfam.org/asia/philippines-ratify

Contact information: 

For more information, please contact:

Angela Casauay

Oxfam Media Officer 

+63 917 511 9797

ACasauay@oxfam.org.uk

angelacasauay@gmail.com