Championing Climate Adaptation
Senator Loren Legarda (center), designated National Adaptation Champion for the Philippines, at the COP23 side event “Championing NAPs – Advancing National Adaptation Plans” in Bonn, Germany. In her speech, Legarda, head of the Philippine delegation, said that adaptation is at the very core of the Philippines’ climate change strategy. “We have been championing for a more pronounced commitment from developed countries to finance adaptation in climate negotiations, as part of our demand for climate justice. We maintain that adaptation should be placed on equal footing with mitigation.”
With the Senator are [L-R] Mr. Youssef Nassef, Director of the Adaptation Programme of the UNFCCC; Ms. Beth Lavender of the United Nations Environment and member of the Least Developed Countries Experts Group (LEG); fellow NAP Champion Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu of Tonga; and Mr. Ali Shareef of the UNFCCC Adaptation Committee.
1.5-degree climate goal
Senator Loren Legarda delivering the keynote address at the COP23 side event “Innovative Climate Finance Strategies and Instruments by and for Climate Vulnerable Countries,” organized by the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF). In her speech, Legarda, head of the Philippine Delegation, assured international climate allies that the Philippine Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) would be compatible with the 1.5-degree climate goal, as prescribed in the Paris Agreement. (Photos c/o Institute For Climate and Sustainable Cities: ICSC)
Climate Finance
At the COP23 side event “Innovative Climate Finance Strategies and Instruments by and for Climate Vulnerable Countries,” organized by the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), Senator Loren Legarda, head of the Philippine delegation, said that in order for the Philippines to better understand its climate and disaster risks and investment opportunities, it needs to garner international climate finance support for data gathering technology and bottom-up capacity building measures. Legarda applauded climate finance innovations from CVF members, such as the Sustainable Insurance and Takaful Facility (SITL), which provides financing insurance solutions and de-risking of investments in resilient infrastructure and clean technologies.
With the Senator are [L-R] Mr. Red Constantino, Executive Director of the Institute of Sustainable Climate and Cities (ICSC); Dr. Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh; Dr. Atiq Rahman of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BACS); Minister Kare Chawicha Debessa, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change of Ethiopia and current Chair of the CVF; Ms. Sara Jane Ahmed, Climate Finance Advisor of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) and the Climate Smart Network (CSN); and Dr. Ainun Nishat, Professor Emeritus of the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research of the BRAC University in Bangladesh.
