In a post-Earth Day celebration organized by the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI), House Committee on Climate Change chair and First District Cong. Edgar Chatto reminded advocates and participants in the event that climate emergency is the new reality.
Chatto was one of speakers in the online forum held on April 26, 2022 entitled “Re-awakening our Interconnectedness with Nature: A way to Invest in our Planet” along with Senator Risa Hontiveros.
As co-author of the Rights of Nature Bill, he pointed out salient features of the proposed measure to the participants.
The Rights of Nature Bill gives a legal identity to nature and urges all everyone to be in harmony with nature and ecosystems.
Any person residing hwre
is given the right to file an action to enforce protective
measures for nature should the proposed measure becomes a law.
Moreover, Ecuador’s focal person and International Rights of Nature Tribunal Secretariat Natalia Greene and
lawyer Galahad Pe Benito spoke about global and national Rights of Nature advocacies.
“We have a very small window of chance left to reverse the climate crisis, so we must act now! Let us unite in preserving our environment and conserving our resources for our future and for the generations to come,” Chatto underscored in his message.
He highlighted the climate and environmental emergency declaration of the House of Representatives in the last quarter of 2020, which ensures enhanced and coherent climate actions in the executive and legislative branches of the government and encourages that climate urgency be placed at the center of all policy decision-making from local to national level.
Citing the vulnerability of the Philippines to extreme weather events, Chatto also reiterated the call for climate justice, to hold the major carbon emitters accountable to their promised financial assistance to the most vulnerable countries to climate change like the Philippines.
Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22 and this year’s theme: INVEST IN OUR PLANET focuses on taking action on climate and having the courage to preserve and protect health, families, and livelihoods.