The development of the first Philippine NDC, while ultimately setting a relatively-ambitious target, left a lot to be desired. This especially applies in the aspect of inclusive decision-making, with the formulation of the country’s first such climate pledge occurring in the height of the COVID-induced lockdowns. The social dimensions of the NDC were also not as accounted for in the process as they should have, leaving the concerns of the most vulnerable sectors and communities not as prioritized as the technical and economic aspects.
Learning from the lessons of the first iteration, AKP and its partners conducted a series of on-site and online consultations and focused group discussions around the Philippines for as inclusive of position-building as possible. This culminated in the development of the joint-CSO submission fittingly titled “Unconditional“, reflecting the collective call of civil society and community representatives for the country’s climate ambition and action to be scaled up, especially with projected climate change impacts to worsen and their subsequent adverse effects on the Philippine economy, society, and environment to also increase, without proper interventions.
This paper has been sent to different national government agencies and the government’s development partners involved in the process. As of December 2025, some of the calls from these papers are confirmed to have influenced the content of the NDC, most notably the potential inclusion of forestry and other land use (FOLU) sector into the next national climate commitment.
Click on the photo to view the full position paper.
Aksyon Klima Pilipinas 