Address of Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos
On behalf of the people and government of the Philippines, I bid
you welcome to Manila.
That a developing country is hosting a conference on so complex
a subject should surprise no one. Developing and underdeveloped
countries are the most vulnerable and least capable of protecting
themselves from this global threat.
If the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 achieved anything
unanimously, surely it is the fact that it made all of earth's
leaders conscious and fearful of what is happening to our natural
environment. This is not to say that all our countries - developed
and developing - see environmental problems in the same way. Our
national priorities vary according to our circumstances.
In our developing societies, we give our greatest attention to
environmental damage that harms human health and the productive
potential of our people. And that may be different from those
[damages] which grab the attention of people in advanced
countries. But there are some environmental issues where differences
of perspective do not matter at all - where the challenge is indivisible
and the dangers are common to all.
Such is the challenge of climate change. And this is why scientists,
parliamentarians and policymakers from all over the Asia Pacific
are gathered here today.
Climate change
I will leave to the scientific experts here the task of describing
the nature of this contemporary threat to mankind. I will simply
try to describe how this issue appears to a policy-maker like
me.
For much of the postwar era, we have been under dire warning
that scientific invention may be advancing beyond our control
- primarily because of the nuclear peril to the extent even of
ending human life on earth. Part of that worry has eased somewhat
with the end of the superpower rivalry. And the progress in current
efforts to contain nuclear proliferation.
But we have only been partially relieved of one anxiety to be
confronted by another. Over the past decade or so, we have discovered
how increased human activities are rapidly changing the earth's
climate beyond our capacity to adapt to disastrous effects.
So far as a layman can comprehend the problem, the greenhouse
effect, which has made our earth habitable, is now becoming a
bane to mankind. Because of increased emission of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the planet is
getting warmer. In the past 120 years, scientists calculate that
the global mean temperature has increased by one half degree centigrade.
In the next 25 years, if the emission of greenhouse gases continues
at the present pace, the temperature could rise by three degrees
centigrade.
I will not go through the familiar litany of what would ensue
from intensified global warming, beyond stressing that nearly
all agree that the environmental, economic and social costs of
climate change will be massive. And it will be especially costly
to developing countries, because we stand at the lower slope of
the development in the world today. If there is one cheering note
to all this, it is the fact that our nations have begun to pull
together before the nightmare is fully upon us.
An international problem
By the very nature of the global warming problem, solutions and
actions addressing climate change will definitely have to be on
a global scale. No country can claim to be immune. The effects
will be felt regardless of region, although in varying ways. Solutions
will, thus, have to be founded on international cooperation and
national concern.
The Framework Convention on Climate Change, to which the Philippines
is a signatory, is a beacon of hope for all of us. This is why
the First Conference of the Parties - scheduled in Berlin from
March 28-April 7 this year - is so important. It will seek to
resolve many of the highly complex and politically charged issues
- such as adequacy of commitments of developed countries, joint
implementation, and financial mechanisms. We are all hopeful that
resolution of these issues will pave the way for the achievement
of the convention's ultimate objective - which is the stabilization
of greenhouse gas emissions at a level that would pose no danger
to the climatic system.
The Asia Pacific Conference on climate change affords us the
opportunity to come up with a regional action plan in preparation
for the Berlin Conference. This is one more vivid demonstration
of cooperation within our region.
It is heartening to see prominent policymakers, scientists and
political leaders responding to the call for discussions - especially
her Excellency Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan. We also
welcome the message of concern on behalf of all small island-states
by his Excellency Maxime Carlot Korman, the Prime Minister of
Vanuatu, under whose initiative the United Nation's General Assembly
approved the conference of small island-states after the Rio Summit.
Specific actions needed
Specific actions are needed to prevent, as well as confront,
the impending consequences of global warming.
First among these is the reduction of fossil fuel combustion,
since this is the major source of carbon dioxide buildup. We hope
that industrialized countries which contribute the bulk of these
emissions could come to terms with the developing economies on
the implementation of a cutback mechanism of greenhouse gas emissions.
We must work together to protect and allocate what scientists
have called our global common resource: atmospheric carrying capacity.
The issues leading to such an agreement are plain. Countries
all over the world are responsible for different amounts of greenhouse
gas emissions. The richer countries have been emitting large amounts
for many years, as a consequence of their industrial growth and
capacity.
On the other hand, emissions from the low-income countries have
been low, but now these are rising more rapidly as they bid for
development. Any agreement to stabilize emissions must clearly
recognize where each country is coming from. It would be a terrible
irony if the resulting agreement would freeze the third world
in a state of underdevelopment.
Second, as an integral part of our long-term strategy against
global warming, we must now start disconnecting economic growth
from growth in carbon dioxide emissions.
One way is to reduce the amount of energy used per unit of GDP.
More efficient means of harnessing power should be pursued and
shared.
The other is to gradually shift from fossil fuels to renewable
energy. New energy systems which have less drastic consequences
should be used and made available, particularly to the developing
countries, which are fast catching up; global cooperation should
facilitate more research into new and clean technologies.
Third, the consequences of global climate change add another
reason to protect tropical forests from destruction, particularly
from burning, which not only releases more carbon into the atmosphere
but also reduces the number of trees that absorb carbon dioxide.
Let us use this conference as a platform to issue a plea for the
preservation and rehabilitation of the forest ecosystems in our
region.
Finally, let us press for action to mitigate the effects of rising
sea level as a matter of policy. Vulnerable areas and population
should be identified and protected so that plans and resources
for relocation, infrastructure and other contingencies will be
put in place. Research on the other possible impacts of global
warming should also be accelerated so that vulnerable countries
such as the Philippines, other archipelagic states, and the small
island-nations can be better prepared for them.
Philippine plan of action
In its World Development Report on the Environment in 1992, the
World Bank observed that the range of possible policy responses
in global warming can be reduced to three:
First, do nothing at least until the extent and implications
become clearer.
Second, take out an insurance policy. Which means adopt precautionary
measures that are modest costs now.
And third, take immediate action. Which means action to reduce
output of greenhouse gases.
From the balance of the evidence, doing nothing would clearly
be the height of foolhardiness and irresponsibility. The wisest
course is to balance modest immediate reduction of greenhouse
gases with investments in information and research to know more
about the problem.
In the Philippines, we have constituted an interagency body to
respond to the challenges of climate change -The International
Committee on Climate Change (IACC). It is jointly chaired by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department
of Science and Technology.
The Committee is primarily tasked to:
-
Formulate policies and response strategies to climate change;
-
Establish working groups to monitor and assess local climate
change and its impact;
-
to liaise with the relevant international organizations on
climate change issues.
Beside making an inventory of our greenhouse gas emissions, particularly
carbon dioxide, we are participating - together with Pakistan,
Bangladesh, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India,
Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam - in the Asian
Least-Cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy (ALGAS) project.
This is designed to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases
from the Asian region.
We are now completing a country action program on climate change,
under the umbrella of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical
and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
These efforts here at home will enable us to contribute significantly
to regional and global plans of action.
A community of interests
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe there is a community of interests
throughout Asia-Pacific region for a focused effort to respond
to the challenge of climate change. And if we press this effort
with other regions, we will discover a community of interests
on this issue among all nations. There may be no way to leap into
a global agreement all at once since there are too many thorny
issue to resolve. But if giant strides cannot be taken, shorter
steps - taken steadily - can get us just as well where we want
to go.
Let us heed Benjamin Franklin's words of wisdom. Old Ben said,
"we must band together or assuredly we will hang separately."
We will all benefit from your deliberations. I wish your meeting
every success.
Thank you and good day.
