MEXICO, Pampanga — Noting the gravity of the effects of climate change on mankind’s survival, Climate Change Commissioner Albert Dela Cruz Sr. cited the country’s vulnerability and stressed that the time for passive action is now passe for it’s now the moment of truth for action.
Commissioner Dela Cruz pointed out that the global stocktake is a moment of truth for the world when it comes to global efforts to address climate change, adding that it will tell us where we are, where we need to go, and, most importantly, how to get there.
The global stocktake is a process for countries and stakeholders to see where they’re collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement—and where they’re not. It takes place every five years, with the first-ever stocktake scheduled to conclude at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at the end of this year.
This, though, is not just a routine check-up since the stocktake is a course-correcting moment and an opportunity to ramp up the ambition to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Currently, Dela Cruz noted that in order for the stocktake to have a strong outcome, it would need robust input from all stakeholders.
And this is where the climate official mentioned the entry of the stocktake’s ‘technical dialogues’ in which countries and stakeholders gather to share the best-available science and assessments of mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation (climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building).
“The dialogues are also about forward momentum to unlock more ambitious climate action and support,” Dela Cruz enthused.
The first dialogue took place at the Bonn Climate Change Conference last June, while the second dialogue was held at COP27 in Egypt last November.
The third and final dialogue is fast approaching, taking place at the Bonn Climate Change Conference in June.
The call for submissions is open until 6 March 2023, and all inputs will influence the outcome of the global stocktake.
“This is a crucial moment for our planet so we should be involved and have our voice heard, especially since we are among those that are severely affected by climate change and we rank as the most vulnerable to the phenomenon,” Dela Cruz said.
“We must submit the solutions and good practices we have so far formulated and initiated in order to help piece together answers to three vital questions when it comes to global efforts to address climate change: where are we, where do we want to go, and how do we get there?” he added.
(Amado Inigo/MTVN)
Climate Change Commissioner Albert Dela Cruz Sr. shows the working media the 100 percent Filipino-made machine for fractional disposal of waste that facilitates the transition of landfills to waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies. (Photo supplied)
