Loren backs laws for climate change

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK- SEN. LOREN LEGARDA YESTERDAY AGREED WITH WORLD PARLIAMENTARIANS THAT THE POST-2012 AGREEMENT REACHED AT THE UNITED NATIONS SUMMIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD BE UNDERPINNED BY DOMESTIC LEGISLATION IN ALL COUNTRIES TO BE EFFECTIVE.
Loren, vice chair of the Philippine delegation to the summit conference here, expressed support for a resolution by the GLOBE (Global Legislators’ Organization for a Balanced Environment) International parliamentary community stressing the “critical role” of world parliamentarians in giving flesh to the agreement.

“To be effective, the post-2012 agreement must be underpinned by legislation in all countries,” the parliamentarians’ resolution stated. “In that context we recognize the critical role of legislators in developing and passing legislation, ratification of a post-2012 agreement and in holding governments to account for commits made.”

The parliamentarians noted that a post-2012 agreement will not be effective unless: i) it is ratified in the major economies; ii) it is backed up by national legislation; and iii) governments are held to account for the commitments and the actions put forward. Legislators are responsible for all three.

A formal recognition of the importance of legislators in 2010 and beyond would energize legislators and be a catalyst for parliamentarians to drive the domestic implementation of GLOBE political principles agreed at the GLOBE Copenhagen Forum of Legislators on 24-25 October 2009.

Earlier, Loren, who is the United Nations champion for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Asia-Pacific, addressed the world parliamentarians conference held in conjunction with the world summit on climate change.

In her speech, Loren appealed for “climate justice” whereby developing countries shall be given financial aid by rich countries in combating climate change. She pointed out that rich countries are responsible for a great part of the carbon emission that causes climate change, while developing countries suffer the most from floods, rising seas and strong typhoons caused by climate change.

As chair of the Senate committee on climate change, Loren was principally responsible for the recent passage by Congress of the Climate Change Act which mandated a comprehensive action program to mitigate risks from climate change throughout the archipelago.