DENR chief cites importance of global backing to advance PH’s position at COP 28 – Presidential Communications Office

Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said on Wednesday that she hopes that the integrated messaging and the approach being pushed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will inspire other nations to back the Philippine position as they negotiate for favorable climate financing and support, as nations gather in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

Yulo-Loyzaga made the remarks when asked by reporters during a Palace press briefing on the importance for garnering other countries’ support on climate-related matters.

“I think it is extremely important for us to be heard by other countries because what we are trying to do at this point is really to approach our climate resilience by twinning adaptation, mitigation and, I should say a third leg, the disaster risk reduction, and that will involve the social, economic, environmental and scientific efforts of our whole of government,” Yulo-Loyzaga said via Zoom.

“What we have managed to do under this administration, because the President is one of those who have actually really supported the integration of climate into the different policy areas of the different departments and he understands the link between climate, biodiversity, pollution and sustainable development. These integrated messaging and the integrated approach that we are trying to now marshal as a country, we hope will inspire others as well.”

The Philippines, she said, is highly vulnerable to climate change, and it is actually also part of G77, a group of developing countries.

The Philippines, the DENR chief said, has so far achieved some recognition on this, even on its work on oceans and biodiversity. The country’s representatives will be speaking at a number of panels while at COP 28, as well as on side events of other organizers during the climate conference.

“And particularly, they have asked DENR, myself, to speak on oceans and climate, on minerals and climate, especially this is a group that is led by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, or EITI and, of course, a number of nature-based panels as well and, of course, in the