By Karl Orit, Greenpeace Philippines communications campaigner
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law the Loss and Damage Fund Board Act, the enabling measure that grants legal personality to the board governing the international climate change fund. Greenpeace climate campaigner Jeff Chua said,
Now that the Loss and Damage Fund Board Act has been signed into law, the Philippines is well on the way in positioning itself as a global leader in calling for climate accountability.
The government must now walk the talk and ensure that accountability mechanisms are operationalized not only in our commitments to the Paris Agreement but also in our national laws. It must establish a comprehensive Philippine Climate Justice Agenda[1] that will exact climate accountability from fossil fuel companies.
Ensuring the swift passage of the Climate Accountability Bill–which seeks to hold oil, gas and coal companies to account for their contributions to climate change–is a key component of this agenda and the next obvious step.
Furthermore, the government can champion the Climate Damages Tax and other innovative sources of finance to ensure not just adequate funding, but, importantly, payment from corporations, for loss and damage. We urge the government to take advantage of the moment. President Marcos must lead the call to make polluters pay.