ANTALYA — The Philippine delegation to the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), has placed accessible climate finance and technical assistance at the top of its agenda for the talks in Antalya, Turkey. The summit brings nearly 200 governments together each year to negotiate collective climate action under the UNFCCC, making it the main venue where countries press for the support their climate plans require.

Environment Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna said the delegation will work to secure partnerships that address the human and economic impact of climate-driven problems such as extreme heat, flooding, and rising sea levels.

"As we head into COP31, the Philippines is working towards building constructive international partnerships that back ambitious climate pledges with predictable, accessible financial and technical support so that local communities receive the protection they urgently need," he said.

Under the country's National Adaptation Plan (NAP), its UNFCCC-backed roadmap for adapting to climate risks, about 11 million Filipinos could face heat indices exceeding 42°C by 2030, while heat stress is estimated to cause P466 billion in lost production annually. Roughly six million Filipinos are exposed to typhoons every year, which inflict an estimated P83 billion in annual damage to private property and public infrastructure.

Extreme rainfall and river flooding threaten about 4.8 million people with an estimated P287 billion in yearly damage, with 18% of those affected belonging to low-income households. Rising sea levels are also projected to displace up to 154,000 Filipinos by 2030.

The DENR said it will push at the conference to align ambition with means of implementation — the UNFCCC term for the finance, technology, and capacity-building that allow countries to deliver on their pledges — an approach that would extend the Philippine pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by four to five years. The original deadline was 2035.

The delegation is likewise pressing for grant-based financing to execute the NAP and the Adaptation Investment Platform, citing the need to minimize the debt burden on developing nations. The mix of grants and loans in climate support has been a recurring sticking point in past negotiating rounds. It will lobby for sovereignty in carbon markets and non-market partnerships — cooperative mechanisms governed under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement — so that emission reductions can be counted toward national targets.

It will also promote direct loss and damage relief funding through "direct-access" payout modes filed under the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage — the fund agreed at COP27 in Egypt and operationalized at COP28 in Dubai — designed to reach affected communities with minimal administrative delay.

The Philippines will additionally showcase climate-related initiatives such as the Philippine Just Transition Framework for moving to a low-carbon economy while protecting workers and communities, the National Carbon Registry, the 'Shared Seas' marine protection initiative, and REDD+ forest preservation strategies.

"From establishing the National Carbon Registry to advancing local adaptation platforms, the Philippines is showing that we are ready to lead — and we invite the global community to partner with us in securing a resilient future for all," Mr. Cuna said.

— Maria Mikaela H. Tormon