The United Nations (UN) has welcomed the Philippines’ updated climate commitments, citing the government’s increased pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its stronger reliance on domestic resources to address climate change.
In a statement Thursday, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Arnaud Peral described the country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement as a demonstration of sustained commitment to climate action.
“The Philippines continues to demonstrate a strong and sustained commitment to climate action through the submission of its updated NDC,” Peral said.
“The increased unconditional contribution reflects stronger national ownership, while updates to the overall framework provide a clearer pathway for turning ambition into action,” he added.
The Philippines submitted its updated NDC ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled to begin November 9 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Under the revised commitment, the country aims to achieve a 75 percent net reduction and avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions from 2025 to 2035, compared with projected cumulative emissions under a business-as-usual scenario.
The target covers emissions from various sectors, including forestry and other land use.
Philippines increases domestic climate commitment
A key development in the updated NDC is the increase in the country’s unconditional emissions reduction commitment to seven percent, up from 2.71 percent under its previous climate pledge submitted in 2021.
The unconditional component refers to emissions reductions that the Philippines intends to achieve using its own financial resources, technology and institutional capacities.
The remaining 68 percentage points of the overall target will depend on international assistance, including climate financing, technology transfer and capacity-building support.
The revised commitments reflect the government’s efforts to strengthen domestic climate action while recognizing the need for international cooperation to achieve more ambitious emissions reductions.
The UN and its specialized agencies in the Philippines provided technical assistance and policy inputs in developing the updated climate commitments.
Climate action tied to sustainable development
In its 2026 NDC submission, the Philippine government reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing “low-carbon and climate-resilient development pathways appropriate to a highly climate-vulnerable developing country.”
The government emphasized that climate policies must consider the country’s development needs while addressing the unequal effects of climate change across communities and economic sectors.
“[The] implementation of the 2026 NDC is guided by principles of equity, inclusion, and intergenerational responsibility, recognizing that climate impacts, transition costs, and development opportunities vary across sectors and levels of society, and therefore require targeted and context-specific solutions,” the submission stated.
The updated framework seeks to ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation measures remain inclusive, particularly for vulnerable communities facing greater exposure to extreme weather and other climate-related risks.
The Philippines’ revised commitments will form part of its participation in COP31, where countries are expected to discuss progress in implementing the Paris Agreement and strengthening global climate action.
While the higher unconditional target signals a greater domestic commitment, achieving the country’s overall 75 percent goal will still require substantial international financial and technical support.
The UN welcomed the updated framework as an important step toward translating the Philippines’ climate ambitions into concrete policies and programs.
