The Philippines is bringing urgent climate priorities to the global stage as world leaders gather for the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP31, opening in Antalya, Turkey. Leading the country’s delegation is Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna, who emphasized that the country’s goals are rooted in the daily realities faced by Filipino families rather than distant policy discussions. As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, the Philippines projects that without stronger global action, climate-related costs could hit PHP 645 billion annually in the 2030s, with overall GDP impacts reaching 7.6%—or PHP 1.4 trillion—by 2030, and rising to between 18% and 25% by 2050. Secretary Cuna noted that millions across the archipelago already grapple with stronger typhoons, frequent flooding, rising seas, extreme heat, and lost livelihoods, making international cooperation and support more critical than ever.
The country will advance five key priorities during the conference. First is aligning climate action goals with the means to achieve them, reaffirming the target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2035—with 7% achievable through domestic efforts and the remainder dependent on international support—and seeking a four-to-five-year extension of an existing global work programme to better connect targets with funding and technology. Second is securing predictable, grant-based funding for adaptation efforts so developing nations can build resilience without being saddled with more debt. Third is protecting national sovereignty over carbon markets, ensuring the Philippines retains authority over its carbon credits and that emission reductions count toward its own climate goals. Fourth is streamlining how loss and damage funds reach communities, so disaster-hit families receive emergency assistance quickly instead of being delayed by complex procedures. Finally, the country will showcase its own climate progress through several major initiatives, including its framework for a fair transition toward sustainable development, a national system to track carbon emissions, marine conservation efforts, and forest protection strategies.
These priorities reflect very real and growing risks across the country. By 2030, as many as 11 million Filipinos could regularly face dangerous heat levels, a number that could swell to 74 million by 2050, while heat-related losses in labour productivity may cost the country around PHP 466 billion each year. Roughly six million people are repeatedly exposed to powerful typhoons, bringing some PHP 83 billion in annual damage to homes and infrastructure, on top of the PHP 673 billion recorded over the decade ending in 2021. Worsening floods threaten nearly five million people and cause nearly PHP 287 billion in losses annually, while rising seas could permanently displace more than 150,000 Filipinos by 2030. Secretary Cuna stressed that the Philippines is ready to lead on climate action and called on the global community to stand together in building a safer, more resilient future for all.
