Statements

Excellencies, The parliamentarians of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, Distinguished speakers, Ladies and gentlemen, Goni, the world’s strongest storm this year, killed at least 22 people in the Philippines, while forcing about a million more to evacuate. Goni came a few days after typhoon Molave, which left at least 16 dead and caused a minimum of 2.66 billion pesos, or 54 mio. US dollars, of damage to crops. On November 13, a few days after Goni, typhoon Vamco hit our country – the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

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Distinguished participants of this high-level Climate Vulnerable Forum today, Before I introduce the Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, let me share with you that our Department of Energy’s recent announcement on the moratorium on new coal sends a decisive signal to domestic and foreign investors financing renewable energy.

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Thank you very much Saber, it is great to see you, albeit virtually, since the last time at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva last year, Martin, in you and the IPU we have a very valued partner to support parliamentarians across the whole world, Hello to our dear friend Loren, President Nasheed, Excellencies, Distinguished Parliamentarians, Ladies and Gentlemen, It was already apparent before the pandemic that the world was struggling to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals given the steep rise in climate-related disasters over the last twenty years.

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Excellencies, Mr. BAN KI-MOON, Former United Nations Secretary-General; Fellow CVF Ambassadors, MOHAMED NASHEED and SABER CHOWDHURY; IPU Secretary-General MARTIN CHUNGONG; Fellow Parliamentarians; Partners, Let me state this plainly. Hard-fought development gains and productivity will continue to be undermined, or worse, reversed, if our 1.5 global warming threshold is breached.

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Now, let us move forward. We are pleased to be joined today by a very rich host of partners: First, let me mention that we are joined today by the Secretary-General of the IPU, Martin Chungong. I think parliamentarians are already familiar with him, he’s a familiar face and I’ve also had the pleasure of working with him in the IPU. Martin, we hope this first event is the start of a longer-term relationship between the IPU and the climate threatened nations cooperating under the CVF banner.

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Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, Distinguished dignitaries, Honorable members of parliament, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, There is no doubt that the current global health crisis has lent us a new perspective in approaching both international and national policymaking, and in particular for global risks and hazards such as COVID-19, but also for climate change – a global emergency towards which we are counting down rapidly, all the way to Midnight. 

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