The Netherlands, supported by the Global Commission on Adaptation, is hosting the Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) 2021 on January 25-26 to bring together world leaders and local stakeholders to launch the Adaptation Action Agenda for climate-resilient future by 2030. The event focuses on eight action tracks: food security and rural livelihoods, scaled-up finance for adaptation, resilient cities, climate-proof infrastructure investments, nature-based solutions, locally-led action, water management, and disaster risk management, which are all fundamental to the Adaptation Action Agenda.
CAS 2021 follows the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit (UNVCAS) and serves as a momentum for adaptation action towards a climate-resilience future through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021 and beyond.
In the Philippines, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila partnered with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) to convene a three-part webinar series entitled “Climate Change and COVID-19: Adapting to Two New Normals,” which aims to advance critical discourse on climate action amid the pandemic.
This will be streaming online via Zoom and the ICSC and Netherlands Embassy in the Philippines Facebook pages.
ABOUT THE EPISODES
EPISODE 1
Local voices and best practices: Addressing climate change in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic
January 26, 2021 | 9:00AM to 12:00NN Manila time
The first episode featured the current efforts of local governments and communities in responding to both the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting lessons learned and their sustainable best practices that can be replicated and enhanced for resilience building across the country.
Listen to the voices of Engr. Fernando Lopez, Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer of Coron, Palawan; Ar. Araceli Barlam from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office and Ar. Marlo Ocleasa from the City Planning and Development Office of Mandaue City, Cebu; and Recti Melquiades, Secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, together with Netherlands Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Hon. Pieter Terpstra and ICSC executive director Red Constantino who delivered the opening and closing remarks respectively.
Speakers’ quotes
EPISODE 2
Science and emerging areas of research for climate policy and development
February 26, 2021 | 1:30PM to 4:30PM Manila time
The discussion sought to highlight better policy development grounded on science and evidence through relevant and emerging studies and multi-stakeholder collaboration that can capture current realities on climate change and the pandemic. The episode featured experts in the fields of climate science, health, economics, and development; and the ambitious initiative of marrying science and development in the Eastern Visayas Region through the formulation of its regional development agenda.
Dr. Toby Monsod of the UP School of Economics; Dr. Faye Cruz of the Manila Observatory; Dr. Felino Lansigan of the College of Arts and Science, UP Los Banos; and Dr. Laura David of the Marine Science Institute, UP Diliman tackled the macro and sectoral research on climate change in the national context.
Local experts Eric Lopez of the Calamianes Resilience Network; Marjorie Muyrong from Ateneo de Manila University; and Dr. Eduardo Mangaoang of the Regional Climate Change Research & Development Center, Visayas State University also discussed case studies of climate change and COVID-19 on the ground. ICSC’s climate science advisor Lourdes Tibig also joined the discussion and delivered the closing remarks.
Speakers’ quotes
EPISODE 3
Scaling up adaptation through cooperation: linking the discourse on climate finance and policy
March 26, 2021 | 1:30PM to 4:30PM Manila time
The third part discussed available mechanisms and initiatives to ensure the implementation and continuing progress in climate action mainstreaming across development policies and plans by securing access to various climate finance opportunities for resilience building that must be balanced with better accountability on climate tagging. This concludes the webinar series, as well as provide build-up to COP26, with a call for more local and international cooperation through various platforms to elevate the discussion of climate adaptation in the broader policy arenas.
Presentations
| Speaker | Topic | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Kirkman United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
Introduction to climate finance | |
| Viktoria Seifert Munich Climate Insurance Initiative |
Regional platforms of cooperation for climate finance |
Speakers’ quotes
