Loren urges LGUs to submit climate change action plan

SENATOR Loren Legarda has deplored the report that as of July 2015, only 584 out of 1,634 cities and municipalities, or 36 percent, in the country have local climate change action plans.

She urged local government units to comply with Republic Act No. 9729 by submitting their respective LCCAP to the Climate Change Commission (CCC).

“All LGUs should follow the law and have their own local climate action plans,” said Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and principal author of RA 9729 or the Climate Change Act.

“We can no longer delay climate action. For a vulnerable nation like the Philippines, delayed action means loss of lives, livelihood, ecosystems and biodiversity,” she said.

“We need to take urgent action to adapt to the effects of climate change, reduce the risks in the communities, mitigate global warming, and move towards sustainability, she added.

RA 9729 mandates that LGUs shall be the frontline agencies in the formulation, planning and implementation of climate change action plans in their respective areas, consistent with the provisions of the Local Government Code, the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change, and the National Climate Change Action Plan.

Legarda said local action is crucial because every community has its own vulnerabilities, risks and hazards. She said that LGUs must determine how their community is affected by climate change.

“The location of the community, the direct impact of climate change, and the risks posed by extreme weather events are crucial in crafting a climate change adaptation plan,” said Legarda.

“It is lamentable that we are among the least emitters of greenhouse gases yet we are directly hit by the effects of climate change. But we have no more time to wail and complain,” she said.

Source: Manila Bulletin