Kyoto Protocol and the Philippines

Kyoto Protocol Put Force in the Philippines

by: Shine Manching

According to Paculdar and Parreño, the current crisis that the world is experiencing today is climate change which is an international issue that concerns all fields of research and expertise. Conferences and negotiations have been globally organized concerning climate change and one of its active supporters is the Philippines. An “expert dialogue” was conducted by the Institute of International and Legal Studies of the University of the Philippines (U.P.) College of Law as a contribution to its awareness campaign. It was cited by Atty. Casis, one of the speakers, that climate change is “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to the natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.” Today the major evidence of that phenomenon is global warming which is the “accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG)—carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides in the atmosphere; these trap the sun’s heat energy thus resulting in increases in the average global temperature”. GHG-emitting human activities are the cause of climate change and its effects are increase in sea level, increase in temperature, acidity of oceans and others. According to Atty. Casis, in the Philippines, agriculture, food security and health are the most affected sectors of climate change. We can survive the negative effects of climate change by limiting the GHG emissions, enhancing sinks or processes that remove greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and learning to adapt to changes in the environment. The major contributors to the currently high level of GHG in the atmosphere are developed countries. So, Kyoto Protocol which is the addition of a legally binding measure was approved by a number of nations. On February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement was put forced.

Kyoto Protocol in the Philippines

The Philippines has participated in the discussions and negotiations as a manifestation of the country’s commitment to engage in multilateral efforts aiming to address the global problem and achieve sustainable development. Those moves are leading to the ratification of various international agreements. On November 20, 2003, the Kyoto Protocol was ratified, one of the most important outcomes of the negotiations. The Medium Term Philippine Development Plan of 2004-2010 (MTDP), at the national level, underscored the need to manage the environment more effectively.

In order to advance the international community’s agenda on environmental preservation, developing countries such as the Philippines are required to implement national measures. To uphold the agreements embedded in the Kyoto Protocol, the Philippines passed national legislations. One of the earliest countries to recognize the importance of a systematic institutional response regarding to the problems arising was the Philippines. The Clean Air Act of 1999 and Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 were enacted to improve the effectiveness of the air quality management program. The IACC therefore ensures the Philippines’ faithful compliance to the mandates and principles contained in the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and sees to it that adequate public awareness campaign and initiatives are held to bring the issue to all the sectors of the country.

References:

Casis, R. J. (2008, July). The Climate Change Crisis: Global Legal Framework, Policy Initiatives and the Philippine Response, Philippine Climate Change Policy: Mitigation and Adaptation Measures. Experts Dialogue, University of the Philippines Law Center, U.P. Diliman.

Evidente, M. (2008, July). A Philippine Response to Climate Change: Possible Strategies for Mitigation and Adaptation, Philippine Climate Change Policy: Mitigation and Adaptation Measures. Experts Dialogue, University of the Philippines Law Center, U.P. Diliman.

La Viña, A. (2008, July). Addressing Climate Change in the Philippines: An Integrated Adaptation-Mitigation Approach, Philippine Climate Change Policy: Mitigation and Adaptation Measures. Experts Dialogue, University of the Philippines Law Center, U.P. Diliman.

Leonen, M. V. F. (2008, July). The Limits of Law and Policy, Philippine Climate Change Policy: Mitigation and Adaptation Measures. Experts Dialogue, University of the Philippines Law Center, U.P. Diliman.

Merilo, M. G. A. (2008, July). Philippine Initiatives on Climate Change, Philippine Climate Change Policy: Mitigation and Adaptation Measures. Experts Dialogue, University of the Philippines Law Center, U.P. Diliman.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [Internet].
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