Sustaining the environment begins in our homes and communities

As the United Nations General Assembly opened last week, world leaders — including President Duterte — pointed to the ever-increasing risks brought on by the climate change crisis, even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on.

Their collective concern foreshadows the agenda of COP26, the UN Climate Conference that opens in end-October in Glasgow, Scotland. The Philippines has submitted its first Nationally Determined Contribution, committing to a target to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030. President Duterte also declared a moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants and a directive to explore anew the nuclear energy option.

But the biggest moves would have to come from the countries that contribute most to global warming on account of their massive greenhouse gas emissions, namely: China, the United States, India and Russia. As monitored by the UN, global temperature is already 1.2 degrees of warming. Under current emissions commitments from countries, a 16 percent increase in emissions in 2030 compared to 2010 levels is likely.