Resolution Concurring in the Accession to the Paris Agreement

March 14, 2017

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 042-17

RESOLUTION CONCURRING IN THE ACCESSION TO THE PARIS AGREEMENT

WHEREAS, the Constitution, Article VII, Section 21 states: "No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate";

WHEREAS, the Philippines acceded to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in August 1994;

WHEREAS, the Paris Agreement (Agreement) was signed on 22 April 2016 in New York;

WHEREAS, the Agreement aims to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2ºC above pre-industrial levels and pursues efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels;

WHEREAS, the Agreement provides that developed countries shall continue their obligations under the UNFCCC to provide financial assistance to developing countries with respect to both climate change mitigation and adaptation;

WHEREAS, under the Agreement, emissions reduction or programs for adaptation are nationally-determined and voluntary;

WHEREAS, the President of the Philippines ratified the Agreement on 28 February 2017 and has accordingly submitted it to the Senate for concurrence, in accordance with the Constitution;

WHEREAS, the following government agencies and instrumentalities, with their respective positions, endorsed the concurrence to the accession of the Agreement:

1. Department of Foreign Affairs;

2. Department of Environment and Natural Resources;

3. Department of Energy;

4. Department of Science and Technology;

5. Department of Justice;

6. Department of National Defense;

7. Department of Health;

8. Department of Education;

9. Department of Agriculture;

10. Department of Social Welfare and Development;

11. Department of Agrarian Reform; cHDAIS

12. Department of Finance;

13. Department of Labor and Employment;

14. Department of Public Works and Highways;

15. Department of Transportation;

16. Department of Budget and Management;

17. Department of the Interior and Local Government;

18. Climate Change Commission;

19. National Economic and Development Authority;

20. Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council;

21. Philippine Commission on Women;

22. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority;

23. Land Bank of the Philippines; and

24. National Youth Commission.

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Philippine Senate concur, as it hereby concurs, in the Philippine accession to the Paris Agreement.

Resolved, finally, That the President of the Philippines may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate, withdraw from the Agreement.

Adopted,

(SGD.) AQUILINO "KOKO" PIMENTEL IIIPresident of the Senate

This Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 14, 2017.

(SGD.) LUTGARDO B. BARBOSecretary of the Senate