Legarda Urges Creation of CVF Parliamentary League

House Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda urged the creation of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Parliamentary League as a dedicated cooperation initiative of parliamentarians that will advance a common legislative agenda for integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction in all facets of sustainable development pursuits.

Legarda made the statement during the Global Parliamentarians Meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an international partnership of 48 countries highly vulnerable to a warming planet and serving as a South-South cooperation platform of nations for global climate action. The online meeting was convened in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Global Center on Adaptation.

“We must organize our efforts regionally, using space available to us. It will be our platform for exchanging experiences and good practices on climate action, developing a common stand on critical climate legislation issues, and strengthening our cooperation in championing the 1.5 Paris goal,” said Legarda, who is a CVF Ambassador for Parliaments along with CVF Ambassadors H.E. Mohamed Nasheed, Speaker of the People’s Majlis of the Maldives; and MP Saber Chowdhury, Honorary President, IPU and Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee in the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of  Bangladesh.

“We must influence more, and we must do what we can, because we must, and because solidarity and hope are what will in the end prevail. Through our shared leadership and with far greater urgency, we can hasten the transition of our countries to decarbonized development and ensure a safer, more equitable, and more resilient future for our people,” Legarda added.

Legarda cited massive damages from typhoons that continue to hit the Philippines, the most recent one being typhoon Vamco in November alone, which affected almost four million Filipinos and caused damages to agriculture worth 87 million US dollars and to infrastructure worth 181 million US dollars.

Legarda said that hard-fought development gains and productivity will continue to be undermined, or worse, reversed, if the 1.5 global warming threshold of the Paris Agreement will be breached.

“In light of these intensifying impacts of the climate crisis, we are required to do much more. If countries historically responsible for the climate crisis won’t act with urgency, we in the developing world must act in concert to compel them to take action—to take the lead in deep and drastic cuts in carbon emissions,” Legarda said.

Legarda expressed that vulnerable country parliaments play a crucial role in enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions and in demonstrating climate leadership.

“Using our oversight, legislative, and representation functions, we must take a far more active role in helping steer our peoples away from the dire threats of the climate emergency. I am certain we have all been equal to the task before and I am even more sure now we will be equal to the rough tests ahead of us,” Legarda concluded. ##