Philippines to host LDF board meeting in October

THE PHILIPPINES will host the 7th meeting of the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) Board in October, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Monday.

The upcoming meeting will feature updates on the operationalization and resource mobilization of the fund, “paving the way for its initial implementation,” Environment Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said in a statement.

He cited the need for the international community to lend its support to sustain the fund.

“We call on nations to fulfill their promises of solidarity.”

Mr. Lotilla, fresh from the 6th LDF Board meeting in Cebu, also welcomed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which affirmed the legal obligations of all states to address climate change and protect vulnerable ecosystems.

The Philippines in July 2024 was elected to host the LDF Board, which manages a global fund for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace Philippines said in a statement that the ICJ advisory opinion can pave the way for Filipino communities to seek reparations from the world’s biggest polluters.

“The message of the Court is clear: the production, consumption and granting of licenses and subsidies for fossil fuels could be breaches of International Law. Polluters must stop emitting and must pay for the harms they have caused,” it said.

It said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. “would be extremely negligent if he ignores the opportunity this offers for new legal action against polluters, particularly those whose activities have significantly contributed to the climate crisis.”

The group is calling on the 20th Congress to pass a bill that seeks to hold corporations responsible for climate damage and secure justice for affected communities.

“It will raise the bar for climate policy in the Philippines and around the world,” it said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza