Governor Greco Lagman announced the declaration of a “State of Climate Emergency” in the province of Albay on Tuesday, October 24.

The declaration coincided with the arrival of climate activists participating in Climate Walk 2023, commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

The declaration underscored Albay’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming in alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The Albay government has outlined five key action points under the declaration:

• Encouraging Renewable Energy (RE) Investment in Albay’s energy sector.
• Discouraging Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and other fossil fuels as primary energy sources.
• Urging financial institutions to establish clear roadmaps to promptly cease support for fossil fuel projects, adhering to the IPCC’s recommendation to peak fossil fuel use by 2025.
• Initiating circular and sustainable development in all aspects of work.
• Advocating for policy reforms to address ecological challenges, including institutionalizing the local climate action plan and facilitating a just transition to a low-carbon economy.

“I strongly remind our elected officials, especially those within Albay, of their duty to protect our people, our thriving province, and our natural heritage from the escalating climate crises,” Lagman said. 

The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) also expressed its support for the declaration and challenged other local government units across the country to take similar actions.

The group called on the national government and the local government chief executives to declare a state of climate emergency in their respective regions and throughout the Philippines.

Ian Rivera, national coordinator of PMCJ, said Filipinos have “no time to lose especially since the country has been experiencing heightened climate impacts incomparable to what other countries experienced.”