Philippines updates its climate pledge but skips a fossil fuel phase-out

The Philippines submitted an updated climate pledge to the United Nations on Sept. 8, keeping its target of cutting or avoiding 75% of projected greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 while leaning more heavily on the country's forests and land as a net carbon sink, a role they have held since 2020. Planned policies in the pledge could cut a further 2,296 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2025 and 2035, and the share of emissions cuts the country commits to unconditionally rose to 7% from 2.71%.

Environmental groups welcomed the update but criticized the absence of a concrete commitment to phase out fossil fuels. John Leo Algo of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas said forest conservation "will be critical" but must be paired with decarbonization driven by moving away from fossil fuels. Gerry Arances of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development called the lack of a fossil fuel commitment alarming, arguing the pledge's 40% renewable energy target for 2030 isn't ambitious enough.

Based on reporting by Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez for Eco-Business. Read the original: https://www.eco-business.com/news/philippines-submits-updated-climate-pledge-seeks-to-strengthen-net-sink-status/