The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has called on the private sector to play a leading role in strengthening the country’s climate resilience at the State of Climate Change 2025 Forum recently held in Makati City.

In a news release on Tuesday, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Secretary Robert E.A. Borje underscored the critical role of the business sector in the country’s national development and sustainable progress.

“The private sector holds the power to drive innovation, unlock investments, and create scalable solutions for a climate-resilient future,” Borje said during the event organized by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) in partnership with the New Zealand Embassy.

“By aligning private sector innovation with national strategies, we can accelerate climate action and build a climate-secure future where businesses and communities thrive together.”

The forum focused on strengthening partnerships between the private sector, government, and the civil society to build climate resilience in the Philippines, under the theme “Advancing Private Sector Engagement and the National Adaptation Plan”.

Borje said 93 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) comes from the private sector, with its capacity to drive innovation and mobilize investments.

He also reiterated the significance of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the updating of the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) as core frameworks to achieve a resilient, low-carbon future.

Borje said the NAP is the country’s collective roadmap to climate resilience.

“Preventing losses and damage starts with turning our adaptation plans into tangible solutions, with the private sector stepping up as a driving force in building a climate-resilient future,” he said.

The CCC said the State of Climate Change 2025 Forum also marked the continued strengthening of climate cooperation between the Philippines and New Zealand.

New Zealand Climate Change Ambassador Stuart Horne reaffirmed his country’s support, highlighting the progress made since the signing of the Joint Declaration on Climate Change Cooperation in November 2024.

The agreement outlines an 18-month plan for collaboration in innovation, sustainable development, and economic growth.

In his remark, Borje cited President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to climate action, with a stress on the importance of inclusive, science-based, and locally-led strategies to ensure long-term climate resilience for both businesses and communities. (PNA)