Philippines signs Paris agreement on climate change hinh anh 1Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Source: EPA/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on March 1, taking one step closer to the enforcement of the document in the country.

Senator Loren Legarda said after receiving the Instrument of Ratification for the Paris Agreement from the presidential palace, the Senate needs to ratify the agreement soon to put it into effect in the country.

The Senate is expected to accelerate the ratification, allowing Manila to access the Green Climate Fund which aims to help poor nations tackle global warming.

The Paris Agreement was reached at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in December, 2015 and became effective on November 4, 2016. Under the agreement, almost 200 nations agreed to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

The Paris accord aims at limiting the planet’s warming in the range of 1.5 - 2 degrees Celsius compared with temperatures at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

The document also sets a target that developed nations will mobilise at least 100 billion USD each year to help developing countries shift to clean energy sources and adapt to climate change.

The Philippines pledged to cut down 70 percent of the country’s gas emissions by 2030. However, the nation will need financial and technical assistance to realise the target.-VNA
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