MANILA, Philippines – Environment Secretary Gina Lopez and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) hailed the Senate’s concurrence to the ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

“I’m very happy. This is a great victory for the planet. President [Rodrigo] Duterte set the stage for the Senate’s concurrence to the Paris Agreement,” Lopez said in a statement on Wednesday, March 15.

She added, “This joint executive and legislative effort shows our unwavering commitment to protect the environment on a global scale.”

With a vote of 22-0, senators on Tuesday, March 14, sealed the country’s ratification of the Paris Agreement – two weeks after Duterte signed the “Instrument of Accession” on February 28.

The CCC on Tuesday said the “expeditious concurrence… reflects the sense of global urgency needed to hold the increase in the global average temperature to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels agreed under the Paris Agreement, which the Philippines strongly advocated for.”

Senate concurrence is the final step in the ratification process of a historic pact that has been hailed as the first universal, legally-binding agreement on climate change.

In December 2015, the Philippines and other nations agreed on a global climate pact which aims to keep global temperature rise this century to below 2ºC.

At least 175 countries signed the Paris climate deal months later, in April 2016, and the agreement entered into force in November 2016.

“With its accession to the agreement, the Philippines confirms its commitment towards global climate action and affirms its leadership in pushing developed countries to undertake more ambitious action and to provide more support to developing countries,” the CCC said in its statement on Tuesday. 

The commission said the “Instrument of Accession” will be deposited to the United Nations in time for climate negotiations in May. – Rappler.com