DENR reaffirms Philippines’ commitment to One Planet Initiative

MANILA, Philippines — Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga yesterday reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the One Planet Initiative that aims to fight climate change during her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

During a high-level summit on vital reserves of carbon and biodiversity, Loyzaga, who heads the Philippine delegation to the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27), expressed the country’s willingness to engage in more partnerships to explore ways on how parties can work together to achieve the goals of the One Planet Initiative.

The One Planet Initiative aims to mobilize high-level commitment among countries to respond to the ecological emergency faced by the world today due to worsening climate change.

Before the summit, Loyzaga also held a bilateral meeting with French Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories Christophe Bechu.

The environment chief stressed that the Philippines is one of only two Asian countries that signed the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which aims to protect over 30 percent of land and sea by 2013.

It also seeks to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services by increasing public and private financing, local governance and having clear participation mechanisms.

Bechu expressed France’s desire to pursue further bilateral discussions with the Philippines to explore areas for cooperation such as technical assistance.

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference is the largest annual gathering focused on climate change.

It is co-hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat and the government of Egypt.