President Rodrigo Duterte urged the Senate to study the impact of ratifying the Paris agreement on climate change, particularly on the country's economy that remains reliant on fossil fuels for energy needs.
"Give me a clear view of what will happen to the treaty if we decide or the Senate would agree with it, magbibigay sila ng concurrence nila then bigyan n'yo ako ng clear view kung ano mangyari kasi ang plano ko maglagay ng industrial zones everywhere and then the easy market locators would be China. China ang may pera," Duterte said in his speech on Friday during an inspection of a biomass power plant project in Buluan town in Maguindanao.
Watch His Full Speech On Inspection Of Biomass Power Plant
Duterte added the Philippines will benefit from Chinese investments if both countries can settle their territorial row despite the arbitration ruling that invalidated China's massive claims in the South China Sea.
"We are planning to establish economic zones pati farm-to-market roads, alam mo yang mga yon. Iyong chillers na hindi malata (mabulok) 'yung mga produkto ninyo," he said.
Duterte's remarks came after environmental groups and Senator Leila De Lima urged him to reconsider his stance against the agreement, which he said might limit the country's industrial growth.
The President did not say though if he would submit the Paris Agreement on Climate Change for ratification by the Senate.
Who caused climate change?
The President noted that the problem on climate change should be blamed on rich nations deemed to be the world's biggest carbon emitters."You know itong imbento na ito na climate change. There is really change. But who caused it hindi tayo... All the years in the industrialization in the 60s, 70s was China, America, Europe yung sige nang buga buga sila ng maitim na (usok)," he said.
"Kayo dumating na kayo doon (industrialized country status) at our expense. Kayo yung unang nagbuga buga, nandyan ang carbon footprints ninyo. Kami dito papunta pa lang sa naabot na ninyo," Duterte added.
Duterte earlier said the limits on carbon emissions for developing nations like the Philippines were “nonsense."
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The Philippines is among the least emitters of greenhouse gases that cause global warming, yet it is directly hit by the effects of climate change such as droughts and strong typhoons.
As part of efforts to curtail the effects of climate change, the Philippines joined nearly 200 countries in a landmark deal in Paris in December last year to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit the rise in global temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius.
President Duterte plans to build industrial zones ‘everywhere’ in Philippines 2016
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