France offers the Philippines 50 million euros for climate action
During a two-day state visit to the Philippines, French president Francois Hollande pledged his country鈥檚 support to the developing nation鈥檚 fight against climate change.
French President Francois Hollande, left, toasts with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a state dinner at the Malacanang presidential palace, Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Feb. 26. Hollande is in the country for a two-day visit.
Aaron Favila/AP Photo
France has offered the Philippines 50 million euros (about $56 million) to fund projects that support natural disaster prevention and climate action, according to reports.
French president Francois Hollande announced the offer Thursday during his two-day state visit to the Southeast Asian nation, where he and Philippine president Benigno Aquino III are discussing joint efforts against climate change.
鈥淚 have offered to President Aquino 50 million euros through the French Development Agency to work on projects to prevent some further disasters from happening,鈥� Mr. Hollande said in his opening statement at a press briefing at the presidential palace, .
Hollande鈥檚 remarks came just before the two leaders launched a joint statement appealing for global action on climate change in the months leading up to in Paris later this year.
鈥淎s we meet in the Philippines, where people have endured an unprecedented series of extreme weather events in the last few years, we are reminded that while the developing countries have contributed least to climate change, they are the ones that suffer the most from climate change impacts,鈥� according to the . 聽
鈥淸W]e call upon the international community to conclude a universal, equitable and ambitious climate deal鈥� to preserve our planet as a livable place for future generations,鈥� the statement continued. 鈥淲e call for climate solidarity and justice.鈥�
The concept of climate justice is based on the idea that the impacts of climate change are disproportionately felt by poor people in developing nations 鈥� places that have emitted comparatively less greenhouse gases.
As a result, the countries that have contributed the most to climate change bear a greater burden of responsibility to take action, , which connects the agency to civil society organizations.
The Philippines, which was the site of typhoon Haiyan in 2013, is one such 鈥渇rontline state in the battle against climate change,鈥� .
The Asian archipelago was responsible for about 0.26 percent of the world鈥檚 carbon emissions in 2012, shows. When the storm , it killed more than 6,000 and forced nearly 4 million people from their homes.
Experts have said that Haiyan and other extreme weather events of the last few years are caused at least in part by climate change.
鈥淭yphoons, hurricanes and all tropical storms draw their vast energy from the warmth of the sea,鈥� Will Steffen, director of the Australian National University climate change institute, . 鈥淲e know sea-surface temperatures are warming pretty much around the planet, so that's a pretty direct influence of climate change on the nature of the storm.鈥�
Climate justice is just one of a number of issues that the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris will seek to address; the Paris pact鈥檚 ultimate goal is to mobilize nations to reduce global temperature to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-Industrial Revolution levels.
In keeping with that objective, Hollande and Aquino鈥檚 call to action echoed UN secretary-general Ban-Ki Moon鈥檚 statement earlier this week in New York, where he reminded member states of the importance of international cooperation in the months leading up to the Paris accord.
鈥淩ecent months have seen strong progress on climate change. 鈥� Governments, along with leaders of finance, business and civil society, came together to announce significant new actions that can reduce emissions and strengthen resilience,鈥� Mr. Ban saying. 鈥淥ur challenge now is clear: to finalize a meaningful, universal agreement on climate change.鈥�