Duterte: Climate change efforts should not stunt industrialization

MANILA, Philippines -- Efforts to address climate change should not block the industrialization of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday as he stressed that any effort to mitigate the problem should be fair and equitable.

 

“Addressing global warming shall all will be our top priority, but upon a fair and equitable equation,” the president said during his first State of the Nation Address.

 

“It must not stymie our industrialization,” he added.

 

Duterte noted that energy sources are needed to industrialize the country. He said industrialization involves carbon emissions, which has been linked to changing climate patterns and extreme weather conditions. 

 

Last week, Duterte said he would not honor the historic Paris agreement, which requires nations to act on climate change by reducing greenhouse gases. He also accused industrialized countries of “dictating the destiny” of developing ones by requiring them to limit carbon emissions.

 

“We have not reached the age of industrialization. We are going into it. But you are trying to (cite) agreement that will impose limitations on us. We maintain the present emission. That’s stupid,” Duterte said during the sendoff of Philippine Olympians bound for Brazil.

 

Duterte has described the Paris climate deal as “stupid” and “absurd.” He also argued that while the Philippines had backed the agreement, he would not honor it because he was not the one who signed it.

 

The Senate has yet to ratify the agreement, but for that to happen, the Palace must send it to the upper house of Congress for ratification.

 

The deal, which aims to limit global warming “well below” two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels was inked by more than 150 countries, including disaster-prone Philippines, last April.

 

World leaders who backed the deal also vowed to sustain efforts that would limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

 

The Philippines, under President Benigno Aquino III, vowed to cut carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030 even if it is not a major emitter.

 

Critics pointed out that the Paris deal is vague on financing for climate vulnerable countries and is silent on what would happen to parties that will fail to reach their emission reduction targets.

 

The Paris climate agreement was finalized during the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in France last December.