Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga signs the joint agreement at the DENR’s central office in Quezon City (left) in parallel to New Zealand Minister for Climate Change Simon Watts signing at the ongoing 29th Conference of Parties in Baku, Azerbaijan (right) on Nov. 19, 2024. (Photo from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and New Zealand signed a joint declaration for sustainable development in the countries’ efforts to combat climate change, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced on Friday.
The declaration sets a “low-emission, climate-resilient” framework for innovation, cooperation in job creation, investment opportunities, and economic growth within 18 months.
DENR said the agreement stemmed from New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to Manila last April, when he met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss solutions to climate change, disaster risk management, food security, and renewable energy.
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The agreement reinforces a commitment between the two governments to share best practices and support the development of solutions to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation, according to DENR.
Moreover, the joint declaration stresses the importance of carbon pricing, a policy that seeks to place a fee to deter emissions.
DENR said the partnership affirms the two nations’ commitment to the Paris Agreement, the landmark treaty drafted at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP) in 2015 and signed by 195 countries.
“Our government and the New Zealand’s are united by a common purpose: to build climate-resilient communities while accelerating the transition to a low-emissions economy,” Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga’s statement read.
“Aligning our actions with the goals set in the Paris Agreement helped us recognize that transitioning to a low-emissions economy is not merely a policy objective but a moral imperative,” she added.
Yulo-Loyzaga signed the agreement at the DENR’s central office in Quezon City on Tuesday, while New Zealand Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts signed at the ongoing COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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The COP is the annual meeting of the signatory countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.