THE climate change pact would be a farce, if big and industrialized countries would not heartily adopt it, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday, May 9.

"Itong climate change (deal) could be a farce, if we cannot compel the other nations, especially the industrialized nations (to heartily adopt it). They are improving but we are lagging behind," Duterte said in a speech delivered at the Palace during the presentation of the New Generation Currency banknotes and coins.

The President made the remark, as he raised worry over the seeming lack of improvement when it comes to other nations' commitment to mitigate the impact of climate change.

"I do not see any improvement (on climate change mitigation)," Duterte said.

"This climate change [pact] could be a farce, if we cannot compel the other nations, especially the industrialized nations," he added.

Duterte was first hesitant to acknowledge the Paris agreement on climate change because of its supposed "unclear" provisions, but eventually vowed to study "very carefully" the implications of the pact before ratifying it.

In March 2017, the Paris agreement on climate change was ratified by the Philippines.

The universal agreement to combat climate change is aimed at keeping the rise in global temperatures to "well below" two degrees Celsius and limiting the temperature change to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100.

Duterte said that even though the industrialized nations expressed intent to reduce carboon footprints, they appeared to be unwilling to fully adopt the agreement.

"The carbon footprints, they want to minimize it. Good. But you guys who are industrialized started in the 1800s and it continued until now. We who are on a threshold of an economic, maybe more active, we can hardly catch up," he said.

"And so much limitations for this, what's compelling about is really global governance. And even Europe, America started to f*** with us. The hypocrisy of it all is they do not (have willingness to adopt the pact)," he added. (SunStar Philippines)