Pres. Aquino in Paris for climate change conference

President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his departure statement during the send-off ceremony at the Departure Area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal II in Pasay City on Sunday (November 29, 2015) to attend the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in France; for the Official Visit to Italy; and the Formal Visit to the Holy See. (Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA—President Benigno Aquino III has landed today in Paris, France for the two-week United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference that starts today, November 30 in Le Bourget.

Pres. Aquino will join 150 world leaders to conlude talks on global cooperation in curbing the effects of climate change. He will also talk about the experience of the Philippines on extreme weather disturbances as an example of the effects of climate change on vulnerable countries.

“Sa Conference of the Parties or COP21, ibabahagi natin sa ibang mga bansa ang ating karanasan sa pagharap at pagbangon sa matitinding kalamidad. Sa Climate Vulnerable Forum naman po, magsisilbi tayong kinatawan ng mga bansang pangunahing naaapektuhan ng dumadalas at lumalakas na bugso ng kalamidad na dulot ng pagbabago sa klima (In the Conference of the Parties or COP21, we will share with other countries our experiences in facing and recovering from extreme calamities. Meanwhile, in the Climate Vulenrable Forum, we will serve as representative of the countries who are first to be affected of the more frequent and stronger calamities caused by climate change),” Pres. Aquino was quoted as saying in a Manila Bulletin report.

The Paris talks would be a good venue to show unity in solving climate change, the President said.

COP21 seeks to produce an international agreement that will limit global warming at 2 degrees Celcius. Countries have proposed to cut carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change. COP21 seeks to enforce the financial commitments of 1st world countries and developing ones on reducing climate change. Proposals on cutting carbon dioxide emissions will also be tackled.

French President Francoise Hollande and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will open the talks with their speeches.

President Aquino will be the 29th speaker at the COP21. He, like other world leaders, will affirm the country’s dedication on reducing climate change.

The Philippines envisions a 70 percent cut on its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 if it will receive financial and technical support the country needs to fulfill its committment.

Vulnerable countries, such as the Philippines, are counting on rich industrial countries seen as largest contributors of carbon dioxide emissions to give $100 billion per year in climate finance from 2020. The funds will be used by vulnerable countries to shift from fossil fuels to an environment-friendly and renewable sources of energy. The funds will also be utilized to boost the defenses of vulnerable countries against the destructive effects of climate change.