Filipinos rank among Asia’s most climate-conscious citizens, but financing bottlenecks and institutional weaknesses continue to hinder efforts to turn public concern into meaningful climate action, according to a new study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
The report found that nine in 10 Filipinos consider climate change a serious issue, while 86 percent believe its impacts are already affecting their families or will do so within the next decade. Those figures place the Philippines among the region’s most climate-aware nations.
Yet awareness alone is not enough.
“Despite exceptionally high levels of climate awareness, institutional barriers continue to limit the country’s ability to mobilize and deploy climate finance effectively,” the study said.
Drawing from the Asian Development Bank’s 2024 Climate Change Perception Survey, policy reviews, and stakeholder interviews, the PIDS assessment highlights a growing disconnect between public support for climate action and the country’s ability to fund and implement solutions.
Flooding emerged as Filipinos’ top climate concern, cited by 71.1 percent of respondents, followed by heat waves and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
The urgency is mounting. The study noted that average temperatures in the Philippines rose by 0.75 degrees Celsius between 1951 and 2021.
Economic projections point to potential GDP losses of 6 percent to 8 percent by 2040 due to climate impacts, with worst-case scenarios reaching 13.6 percent.
Public backing remains strongest for visible interventions such as resilient infrastructure, renewable energy projects, and improved public transportation.
Support is weaker for carbon taxes and stricter emissions regulations.
The report also identified major implementation hurdles, including complex funding requirements, limited technical expertise among local governments, fragmented access to climate finance, weak interagency coordination, and inadequate climate data systems.
PIDS researchers said closing the gap between awareness and action will require not only more funding but also stronger institutions, better coordination, and greater local capacity to deliver climate solutions where they are needed most.
