At the Pre-COP28 gathering in Abu Dhabi, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) underscored the need for heightened collaboration on nature-based solutions to tackle the climate action gap. CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera emphasized the pivotal role of carbon sequestration in nature’s contribution to reducing greenhouse gas concentrations.
“Ecosystems, like forests and wetlands, function as crucial carbon reservoirs, sequestering carbon and serving as protective buffers against increasingly perilous storm surges due to rising sea levels. They also act as sanctuaries for fish spawning, ensuring food security. Recognizing and valuing these ecosystem services could generate financial flows through carbon and biodiversity credit systems, effectively managing climate risks on both local and global scales,” Commissioner Herrera explained.
The Philippines is taking strides toward sustainable development by establishing a geospatial database to support a new system of natural capital accounting, acknowledging the genuine economic and social contributions of its ecosystems.
Within the National Adaptation Plan, a comprehensive strategy outlining the country’s climate change challenges, the scaling up of nature-based solutions is highlighted as a key adaptation measure. To gauge progress, the Philippines advocates for standardized metrics and Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems for nature-based solutions, underpinned by rigorous scientific research, data transparency, and accessibility to assess their performance and impact.
Commissioner Herrera concluded by stressing the importance of recognizing the interconnectedness of human, natural, and engineered systems to collectively instigate transformative change and close the climate action gap by 2030.
The pivotal event, “Accelerating Collaboration on Nature to Close the Climate Action Gap to 2030,” hosted in Abu Dhabi from October 30-31, was presided over by UN Climate Change High-Level Champion H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, who also serves as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Philippine Delegation to the event, led by Ambassador H.E. Alfonso Ferdinand A. Ver and featuring officials such as DENR Secretary and Official Representative of the CCC Chairperson Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, DENR Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, and Commissioner Herrera, actively participated in discussions aimed at fostering global collaboration on nature-based solutions.
