This photo taken on October 8, 2018 shows an elementary student wading through floodwaters in Mabalacat, Pampanga.Areas north of Manila like the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan have sunk 4-6cm a year since 2003, according to satellite monitoring. — AFP
IF not for the Covid-19 pandemic, most countries would have been at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow this month. Governments had pledged to negotiate rules for a global carbon market and improve their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
The meeting’s postponement to November 2021 should not equate with inaction. More than ever, there is recognition that the climate challenge must be addressed. Otherwise, the global community risks an existential crisis many times worse than the current pandemic.
Some countries have strengthened their commitments. The European Union announced a pathfinding “Green Deal” which aims for the continent to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, and become climate neutral by 2050. Allied to recovery from the pandemic, the EU will spend nearly €550bil on climate initiatives over the next seven years.
Our region is especially exposed to threats from climate change, including sea level rise and changes in weather that can impact agriculture and food production. The recent severe floods hitting Indo-China and the Philippines are but one reminder of the vulnerabilities.
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