World leaders plead for climate action at UN forum

World leaders descend on Bonn to re-energize negotiations hamstrung by America's rejection of the 2015 Paris
Agreement

BONN, Germany – World leaders shared the spotlight with a 12-year-old Pacific islander on Wednesday, November 15, to
drive home a plea for urgent climate action despite the Trump administration's rejection of a planet rescue plan.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel led the
diplomatic push in Bonn, but it was a small boy with a big smile who got the message across.

"My home, my school, my source of food, water, money was totally destroyed. My life was in chaos," Timoci Naulusala,
whose village in Fiji's Tailevu province was hit by a devastating cyclone last year, told hundreds of delegates including
some 25 heads of state and government.

"My once beautiful village is now a barren and empty wasteland... Climate change is here to stay unless you do
something about it."

The boy received rousing applause before shaking hands with some of the most powerful people in the world and posing
for photographs at the 23rd annual round of UN climate talks.

The leaders descended on Bonn to re-energize negotiations hamstrung by America's rejection of the 2015 Paris
Agreement.

They were met in the morning by anti-fossil fuel protesters waving posters proclaiming: "Clean coal is a dirty lie" and "Stop
corporate capture of the climate".

The Paris pact, which Donald Trump announced in June the US would abandon, took more than two decades to negotiate
and envisions a drawdown of Earth-warming greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal, oil and gas.

Labelling climate change "the defining threat of our time", Guterres told delegates that continued investment in fossil fuels
made no financial sense and was "counterproductive".

"We must stop making bets on an unsustainable future that will place savings and societies at risk," he said.

Macron, for his part, described climate change as "the most significant struggle of our time", and urged European
countries to open their wallets for the UN's IPCC climate science panel, which is facing a critical budget shortfall.

Central challenge

Trump cut funding to the IPCC, to which the US traditionally contributed about $2 million (1.7 million euros) a year –
representing almost half of its 2016 budget.

A collaboration of thousands of experts worldwide, the panel issues reports every few years and is widely considered as
the authority on global warming science.

"I can guarantee that starting in 2018 the IPCC will not be short a single euro," Macron said to loud applause.

Merkel agreed climate change was "a, if not the, central challenge of mankind," adding the world must "stand together to
implement" the Paris Agreement.

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The pact commits countries to limiting average global warming to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit)
over Industrial Revolution levels, and 1.5 C if possible, to avert calamitous climate change-induced storms, drought and
sea-level rises.

To bolster the agreement, nations submitted voluntary commitments to curb emissions.

But the 1ºC mark has already been passed.

A report Wednesday said America's withdrawal would boost global temperatures, calculated on current country pledges,
by nearly half a degree Celsius by 2100, for a total of 3.2ºC.

To widespread disappointment, Merkel said the shift away from fossil fuel was not always "that easy".

Coal still provides about 40% of Germany's electricity needs, and the country is set to miss its own goal of cutting
emissions by 40% by 2020 from 1990 levels.

"We have a long way to go yet," the chancellor conceded, adding that job retention and economic viability must be
considered when weighing energy projects.

"Mrs Merkel... needed to come to Bonn and show she had heard the suffering of the people of the Pacific and around the
world and would do the responsible thing and end coal. She did not deliver this," said Jennifer Morgan, a Greenpeace
executive director.

Back home, the issue has dogged Merkel's efforts to form a coalition government of her conservative allies, the anti-coal
Greens and the pro-industry Free Democrats.

Lone outsider

Since Monday last week (November 6), bureaucrats in Bonn have haggled over a Paris Agreement "rule book", which will
specify how countries must calculate and report their emissions cuts.

Now it is the turn of energy and environment ministers to unlock issues above the pay grade of rank-and-file negotiators –
with climate finance from rich to poor countries the main sticking point.

The task has been complicated by the presence of White House officials who hosted a sideline event Monday defending
the continued use of fossil fuels.

The highest ranking American at the talks is an acting assistant secretary of state, Judith Garber, who is due to address
the conference on Thursday.

This week, Syria became the 196th country to formally adopt the pact, leaving America as the only nation in the UN
climate convention to reject it. – Rappler.com

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ASEAN JOINT STATEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE FOR THE 23RD SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES TO THE

UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

14 November 2017 | Manila, Philippines

During the 31st ASEAN Summit, the Heads of State issued a Joint Statement to be delivered by the ASEAN at the High –
Level Segment (HLS) of the 23rd Session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP23) that is now ongoing in Bonn, Germany.

Since all countries in ASEAN are developing countries, some common ASEAN views include adherence to the principle of
common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

The need to issue a Joint Statement by the ASEAN Member States is to articulate the ASEAN’s common concerns and the
need at the UNFCCC COP 23. Climate change policies should take into account the following:

 Calls upon developed country Parties to provide the means of implementation to ASEAN in order to enhance sustainable
management as well as conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes;
 Strengthens the ASEAN rapid response capacity on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction under the ASEAN
Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER);
 Calls upon developed country Parties to honor and fulfill their existing mitigation commitments that includes financial
support amounting to USD100 billion annually under the Convention;
 Urges the Green Climate Fund to facilitate and promote direct access to the fund by ASEAN and other developing country
parties; and
 Calls upon developed country Parties to enhance support the on-going efforts on promoting low carbon and climate
resilient ASEAN cities.

The Joint Statement is usually drafted by the officials attending the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change currently
chaired by Singapore and approved by consensus of the ASEAN Environment Ministers and the ASEAN Leaders.

This year’s statement was drafted by the Philippines through DENR EMB upon the request of the ASEAN Member States.
The said draft was agreed by the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment during its 28th Meeting held this year in Manila.

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A look at ASEAN countries' climate change action plans
8 out of 10 ASEAN countries submitted their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions on time

Fritzie Rodriguez

MANILA, Philippines – Eight out of 10 ASEAN countries have submitted their climate change action plans on time, ahead
of the climate talks in Paris in December 2015.

The deadline for the aggregation of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) was on Thursday, October
1. So far, the United Nations has received 120 submissions across the globe, including the Philippines.

The INDCs will be collated and used to help craft a new international climate agreement towards a "low-carbon and
climate-resilient future." (WATCH: Climate change as explained by a kid)

As of October 1, Malaysia and Brunei have not yet officially submitted their INDCs. As early as July, however, during
the Regional Climate Change Forum, Malaysia presented its INDC plans. The Malaysian government plans to transition
into a “developing low-carbon society,” with an aim of reducing emissions to 40% through policy changes.

Meanwhile, Brunei is yet to release full details of its INDCs.

Most countries submitted their INDCs on or just a few days before the deadline, except for Singapore which complied as
early as July.

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 ASEAN countries and their date of INDC submission

Singapore July 3

Indonesia September 24

Myanmar September 28

Vietnam September 30

Cambodia September 30

Philippines October 1

Thailand October 1

Laos October 1

Brunei Has not officially submitted

INDCs as of October 1

Malaysia Has not officially submitted

INDCs as of October 1

What commitments did ASEAN nations make? And more importantly, how will such goals translate into reality?

Philippines

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The Philippines submitted its INDCs on October 1, the deadline of submissions. It commits toreduce its carbon
emissions by 70% by the year 2030. It will be taken from the energy, transport, waste, forestry, and industry sectors.

The target, however, is “conditional” on the assistance from the international community.

The Philippines also commits to adaptation measures which will help Filipinos prepare for the impacts of climate change.
“The path towards a low emission development will require climate resilience and improved adaptive capacity,” the
Philippine INDC stated.

As for implementation, the Philippines said it is mainstreaming and institutionalizing cliamate change adaptation and
mitigation into government programs “as reflected in government expenditures.” To do so, the government installed a
system for tagging its expenditures related to climate change, which will be used for its annual budgeting system starting
this year.

Laos

Laos commites to increase its forest cover to 70% of its total land area by the year 2020, "once the target is achieved,
emission reductions will carry on beyond 2020." This is because trees and forests serve as greenhouse gas (GHG) sinks.

The government also commits to increase the share of renewable energy to 30% of its energy consumption by 2025.
Electricity will be made available to more rural households, while road networks, hydropower plants, and adaptation
mechanisms will be improved.

According to Laos, its GHG emissions "are very low in the global context;" nevertheless, it intends to cooperate in
combatting climate change.

The government is also allocating approximately $12 million annually for disaster emergency response plans. "This
demonstrates that Lao PDR is not content to wait for international support to take action on climate change," said its
INDC. However, to better achieve reforestation and forest maintenance, Laos wants to participate in international
programs and assistance like REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and FLEGT
(Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade).
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Thailand

The Thai government intends to reduce its GHG emissions by 20% by 2030.

According to its INDC, Thailand is one of the 16 countries in the "extreme risk" category that are most vulnerable to the
future climate change impacts over the next 30 years. Hence, it places adaptation as a "top priority" in its national
response to climate change.

To achieve, climate resilience, the Thai government follows “Sufficiency Economy,” which teaches moderation,
reasonableness, and the need of self-immunity.

Singapore

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Singapore was the first ASEAN country to submit its INDC. It commmits to unconditionally reducing its emissions intensity
by 36% by 2030, covering the following sectors: energy, industrial, agriculture, land use, land-use change, and forestry,
and waste.

Singapore admits that it is "heavily dependent" on fossil fuels but its government has made policies choices to reduce its
GHG footprint. For its electricity generation, it has switched from fuel oil to natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel.

Indonesia

"For 2020 and beyond, Indonesia envisions archipelagic climate resilience as a result of comprehensive adaptation and
mitigation programs and disaster risk reduction strategies," its INDC said.

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By 2030, it aims to reduce its emissions by 29% "unconditionally."

The Indonesian government reiterated that in 2009, it "voluntarily pledged" to reduce emissions by 26% on its own effort
and up to 41% with international support by the year 2020.

Indonesia also plans to have at least 23% of its energy use come from new and renewable energy by 2025, in hopes of
putting the country on a de-carbonization track.

Myanmar

Like other countries, Myanmar wants to provide more households with electricity.

"With the largest expanse of tropical forest in mainland South East Asia, Myanmar is already a net GHG sink," its INDC
said.

However, it admitted that it will need the assistance of the international community to socio-economic development while
also containing emissions; after all, Myanmar is considered as among the "least developed countries." Its mitigation
actions will be conditional on international support.

Once it receives adequate support, Myanmar said it looks forward to "developing its contribution further to the global effort
to mitigate climate change while increasing its capacity to adapt."

Vietnam

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Vietnam commits to unconditionally reducing its GHG emissions by 8% by the year 2030, but the rate could reach 25%
with international support.

Vietnam, according its government, has made significant efforts in forest protection, afforestation, and reforestation. It
aims to also improve its fuel, sustainable agriculture, waste management, energy, and adaptation systems.

Cambodia

Cambodia commits to reduce it emissions by 27% by 2030, coming from the following sectors: energy, manufacturing,
transport, among other industries. This is, like the Philippines, "conditional" on international support.

It also plans to increase its forest cover to 60% of its national land area by the same year. The Cambodian government,
like others, have also mainstreamed adaptation into national development, as well as in agriculture, forestry, health
sectors, and coastal zone management. – Rappler.com

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