A dialogue event on climate actions for low emission development was held in Manila on 7-8 December 2015. Invited guests discussed low emission development initiatives at the global, national and local levels, and identified areas of work — especially on capacity development that would support scaling up current low-emission development projects, as well as initiate new support initiatives.
Background
The success of a global response to the climate challenge depends on the coordinated effort at multiple levels. However, in spite of national climate and green growth strategies and targets being in place, very few countries have been able to establish dynamic vertical policy coordination mechanisms between the national and local levels. It is against this backdrop that UN-Habitat Philippines continues to support government’s efforts in responding to challenges of climate change.
Starting last quarter of 2015 until 2018, UN-Habitat will implement two, but interrelated, projects:
- Vertical integration and learning on low emission development (V-LED) with support of the International Climate Initiative (IKI)-Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and in partnership with Adelphi Research GmbH; and
- Strengthening capacities of national and regional level governance to mainstream climate change concerns into national urban-related policies with UNEP and UNESCAP as partners. Both projects are geared toward supporting government in integrating climate change into national urban policy and fostering low-emission development at the national and local levels.
In the Philippines, local governments are complying with their mandates to formulate their comprehensive plans and mainstream local climate change actions into such mandated plans. Much is happening at the local level and this makes it important to further support such local efforts and vertically link to national programs and policies with climate and sustainable energy strategies and policies integrated into the process.
Event outcomes
The workshop on low emission development attended by key representatives from national, provincial and local governments was filled with insightful discussions.
Groups raised key challenges including the need for capacity building on low emission development for national and local government agencies and units, additional coordination mechanisms for existing mitigation efforts, tool sharing and support, as well as the need for the sustainability of low emission development efforts as many are project-based.
Preliminary deliberations on the possible focus areas of a new three-year programme on low emission development, titled V-LED, include general knowledge building, the creation of tools and guides, strategic supportive partnerships, policy agenda and experiential learning opportunities. The programme is being implemented by UN-Habitat and Adelphi, with support from the Government of Germany.
Conversations also highlighted the need to shift the emphasis away from merely requiring cities and municipalities to accommodate climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in their plans, to incorporating or mainstreaming climate change into all their processes as well.
Cities should be encouraged, or inspired, to initiative low-emission development activities, particularly projects that address both climate change adaptation and mitigation, both when undertaking planning cycles and as opportunities arise.
Stakeholder presentations included:
- Climate Change Commission initiatives supporting national government and local government units on low emission development
- Recent programmes and activities on greenhouse gas inventories and audits in the Philippines
- Challenges and opportunities for mitigation actions in the context of local climate change action plans
- Climate change mitigation in the enhanced guide to land use planning: Process, gaps and opportunities for LEDS to be integrated
- Local government experiences of low-emission development projects, including BLeaders and greenhouse gas emission framework plans
Downloads:
Workshop program (PDF)
Mission report by Adelphi (PDF)
Survey responses from participants (PDF)
To find out more about V-LED and its international scope go to:
