Press Release
April 22, 2016

GRACE POE ON THE SIGNING OF PARIS AGREEMENT

We hail the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change today (April 22), which is also Earth Day, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. We support the decision of President Aquino to sign it, and congratulate our delegation led by Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and Climate Change Commission's Emmanuel de Guzman as they participate in the signing ceremony.

I call on the Senate to immediately ratify the Paris Agreement. I will certainly lead and participate in this effort. After ratification, the next task for us is to honor our commitment as captured in our Nationally Determined Contribution.

If elected President, I will be faithful to this pledge and reduce our emissions by 70 percent relative to business-as-usual levels by 2030. This means we will have to make a rapid transition to renewable energy and effectively protect our forests and ecosystems. We will also accelerate adaptation efforts so that our people and communities become more resilient.

Climate change is the most serious environmental threat that faces the world. As we saw in Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and the drought now afflicting Mindanao, its effects are deadly and catastrophic for the country.

With political will and our children's future in mind, we will spare no effort in honoring our word.

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