The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirms that its impacts are already occurring in every region across the globe, causing widespread damage to ecosystems and communities. Such impacts will escalate with the continued increase in global warming. If greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not reduced by at least 43 percent by 2030 versus 2019 levels, global warming is projected to hit the 1.5°C limit between 2030 and 2035.

In the Philippines, one among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, severe weather has become more frequent and catastrophic, with greater loss of life and property.

Given the urgency of fast-tracking climate change mitigation and adaptation, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and Nestlé PH, with the support of the GMA Network, today hosted “CLIMACTION Towards A Net Zero Philippines.” CLIMACTION involved multi-stakeholder exchanges on implementing the Philippine National Adaptation Plan (PNAP) and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for reducing GHGs.

As the world gears up for COP 28, the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Dubai, CLIMACTION offered a crucial opportunity for discussions on climate action and collaboration in the country. For companies participating in the landmark event, understanding the PNAP and NDC is necessary to ensure positive participation from the private sector, a key enabler in the race to net zero. For the youth sector, a design thinking workshop served to empower them to contribute ideas and spur action.

CLIMACTION with its two parts was attended by government, business, agriculture, and youth representatives, with talks by public and private sector leaders.

Participants put together action plans towards developing a framework to help achieve identified NAP priority outcomes in agriculture, fisheries, and food security; ecosystems and biodiversity; and stakeholder engagement, information, education, communications, and advocacy to support the National Determined Contribution Implementation Plan. With CCC as the lead government policy-making agency on climate change.

“Our event today is one product of the collaboration of the CCC with the private sector. And as we further strengthen our partnerships such as this with Nestlé, we will be able to further enhance our systems and strategies in developing and updating climate policies, and implementing programs and activities that are aligned with the low-carbon, climate-smart, climate-resilient, and sustainable development pathways, said Secretary Robert Borje, Climate Change Commission.

Businesses, in mitigating GHG emissions towards net zero, are responsible for aligning their climate and sustainability goals with the PNAP and NDC. Agriculture is a sector that will be most affected by climate change due to its adverse impacts on food productivity, quality, quantity, and where it can be grown. Conversely, regenerative agriculture, which sequesters carbon, can play a significant role in mitigating climate change. Meanwhile, young people have the most substantial stake in addressing climate change, as they will be left to deal with its impacts.

For its part, the GMA Network, the country’s leading broadcast organization, is engaged in a continuing environmental advocacy with Nestlé PH to raise awareness about the country’s plastic waste problem, while calling on people to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

“For decades, GMA Network has been at the forefront of informing and educating Filipinos about the climate. From documentaries to news coverage, our teams are often in the eye of extreme weather disturbances, witnessing the impact to millions of Filipinos. This year, we are deepening our commitment to the environment through Climaction, a partnership among GMA, Nestle Philippines, and the Climate Change Commission. Through this pioneering collaboration, we hope to inspire current and future generations of leaders across various sectors to protect our common home”, said Angela Javier Cruz
Vice President and Head Corporate Affairs and Communications of GMA Network.

Chairman and CEO Kais Marzouki of Nestlé PH, co-organizer of CLIMACTION, said that as the largest food and beverage manufacturer worldwide and in the country, the company’s raw materials come from nature, and are dependent on a healthy planet. With climate change as the greatest environmental challenge, he stressed that Nestlé has the most compelling motivation and obligation to take a frontline role in confronting it.

“One of the most important lessons from our sustainability initiatives at Nestlé is that participation by all sectors is an imperative. We stand shoulder to shoulder with all of you in the business community who are driving initiatives for environmental sustainability and in particular, climate change mitigation and adaptation,” he said. Citing the need for mutually supportive linkages and partnerships, Mr. Marzouki added, “With our collective will and the synergy of our strengths, we can overcome the challenges to the Earth’s climate and even improve it. Then life on the planet will survive and thrive into the future.”