GMA signs Climate Change Act

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo approved yesterday a law seeking to lessen the impact of climate change in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Britain warned yesterday that the country would experience more typhoons, floods, droughts, heat waves and crop production shortages as a result of climate change.

Republic Act 9729, the Philippine Climate Change Act of 2009, creates a powerful body that would formulate and implement plans for the country to better prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

It also aims to attract foreign financing for adaptation and risk reduction projects.

Mrs. Arroyo signed the bill into law at Rizal Hall in Malacañang with members of Congress, diplomats, local officials, business leaders, environment advocates, the academe, and religious leaders in attendance.

“The signing into law of the Climate Change Act of 2009 ushers in a new era in the way the Philippines will tackle climate change in both the short and long terms, for the benefit of Filipinos today and for Filipinos yet unborn,” Mrs. Arroyo said in a statement.

The law creates the Climate Change Commission, a policy making body attached to the Office of the President tasked with coordinating, monitoring and evaluating programs and action plans relating to climate change.

Headed by the President, the four-member commission will be autonomous and shall have the same status as a national government agency.

Members of the commission must be experts in the field and will hold office for six years and may be reappointed, provided that no person shall serve for more than two consecutive terms.

Backed by a panel of technical experts, the commission has six months upon the law’s effectivity to come up with the National Framework Strategy and Program on Climate Change.

The commission’s advisory board will be composed of heads of concerned government departments as well as representatives from the academe, the business sector, non-government organizations, and from the disaster-risk reduction community.

In a statement, British Embassy charge d’affaires Colin Crorkin said storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng” gave a glimpse of what’s in store if climate change is neglected.

“The UK congratulates the Philippine government’s step in the right direction with the Climate Change Act, which was signed into law by Pres. Arroyo today,” he said.

Crorkin was citing a new map illustrating the global consequences of failing to keep climate change in check.

“Food shortage, disease and conflict as a result become very real possibilities,” he said.

“We also welcome the Philippines’ strong stand on climate change issues in the international stage.”

The new map was launched today by the UK Government, with 45 days to go before international climate change talks begin in Copenhagen.

British ministers are pressing for the most ambitious deal possible in order to avoid these dangerous impacts.

The map, launched at the Science Museum by UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Climate and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, along with the UK’s Chief Scientist John Beddington, was developed using the latest peer-reviewed science from the Met Office Hadley Centre and other leading impact scientists.

The poster highlights some of the impacts that may occur if the global average temperature rises by four degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial climate average.

Ahead of December’s international climate change talks in Copenhagen, the Government is aiming for an agreement that limits climate change as far as possible to 2 degrees Celsius. Increases of more than 2 degrees will have huge impacts on the world.

The poster shows that the average land temperature will be 5.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The impacts on human activity shown on the map are only a selection of those that may occur, and highlight the severe effects on water availability, agricultural productivity, extreme temperatures and drought, the risk of forest fires and sea level rise.

Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez, principal author of RA 9729 in the House of Representatives, said an executive director to be appointed by the President would head the commission’s technical staff.

“It is hoped that a technically competent person with solid climate change and science credentials will be appointed executive director,” he said.

Golez said the first challenge for the commission is participation in the climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.

“Developing countries are worried that reducing carbon emissions would hinder their growth, while developed nations do not want climate change measures to slow down their economies and change the lifestyle of their peoples,” he said.–-Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) with Donnabelle Gatdula, Pia Lee-Brago, Jess Diaz