British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said the United Kingdom (UK) is keen to strengthen British and Philippines relations with particular interest in climate change action.
She expressed this to Climate Change Committee chair and First District Cong. Edgar Chatto over lunch at the Bohol Bee Farm on Nov. 4, 2022.
Beaufils said the UK has made available 100 million British pounds for climate financing through the UK–Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) Trust Fund.
Moreover, Chatto for his part, welcomed Beaufils’ interest to engage with the House Committee on Climate Change to provide inputs on legislation and climate action.
The solon pointed out challenges in accessing climate financing which Beaufils said could be resolved with a national adaptation plan that prioritizes specific climate action initiatives.
Domestically and internationally, the UK is a leader on climate change action and played a pivotal role in securing the Paris Agreement in 2015, where the world came together to agree on a plan to limit temperature rise due to global warming.
Meanwhile, the Philippines has declared a climate and environmental emergency and sounded the call for climate justice.
A recent World Bank report pegged the cost of non action on the climate crisis at 7.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) loss by 2030 and 11% GDP loss by 2040.
“The urgency to address climate change is long overdue as the Philippines has been hugely impacted by severe weather disturbances caused by climate change, and it affects the most vulnerable communities,” Chatto stressed.