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Bishops query Philippines' emission reduction goals

Ambitious plan is admirable, but path to reach targets is unclear
Bishops query Philippines' emission reduction goals

Catholic priests and nuns join calls for climate justice during a rally in Manila in October. (Photo by Joe Torres)

Published: November 13, 2015 03:00 AM GMT
Updated: November 15, 2015 06:03 PM GMT

Catholic bishops in the Philippines are supporting proposals to reduce national carbon emissions by as much as 70 percent by 2030, but are demanding to know how it can be done.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, president of the bishops' conference, called on the government "to clarify how this admirable goal might be actually achieved."

The archbishop called on Catholics to support the resolution of the Philippines' National Climate Change Commission to reduce national carbon emissions.

Some sectors, however, believe the Philippines' greenhouse gas reduction goal is "extremely high." 

The United States and the European Union are only committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 26 to 40 percent.

Archbishop Villegas said he looks forward to the U.N. climate change conference in Paris later in November, noting that it aims to achieve legally binding and universal agreements on climate change.

"The urgency is clear. Global warming, caused by the way we human beings use this planet, is no longer disputable," he said in a Nov. 11 statement.

"We must all do our part to act against global warming," he said, adding that the "burden of responsibility" for carbon emission reductions is with leading industrial nations like China and the United States.

 

Vulnerable nations speak out

Meanwhile, countries considered the most vulnerable to climate change issued a call for greater global commitments to reduce emissions at the end of a three-day meeting in Manila on Nov. 11.

"The Manila Communique" of 43 nations highlighted the danger being faced by about a billion people in vulnerable countries who are already facing the effects of global warming.

"Vulnerable nations are at ground zero in the global struggle against climate change," said Joyceline Goco, acting executive director of the Philippines' Climate Change Commission. 

She said the nations at the talks see the upcoming Paris summit as an opportunity for a framework to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Aside from the Philippines, other Asian countries at the talks included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

Based on estimates, these countries suffer economic losses amounting to 2.5 percent of their potential gross domestic product every year. The losses are expected to escalate if no significant action against climate change is implemented, the meeting's representatives concluded.

 

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