To recover from ‘lost decade’ for MDG 7 – Gov’t urged to change to a ‘greener’ development path to ensure environmental sustainability by 2015

The past decade can be considered a lost decade for the Millennium Development Goals as far as ‘Environmental Sustainability’ is concerned, according to La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) and calls on the administration of P’Noy to recover from the wasted time, effort and resources and initiate in decisive shift towards a “greener” development path particularly in wake of climate change.

La Liga, a development policy research and advocacy non-government organization said in its report entitled “Not Much Time, But Not Without Options – A review of the Philippines’ Progress on Achieving the MDG on Environmental Sustainability (MDG 7)” said that the Philippines, with barely five years left before the 2015 deadline for UN member-countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 is badly missing its target, particularly on promoting environmental sustainability.

The report on MDG 7 is part of the “shadow report” entitled “Winning the Numbers, Loosing the War” which was the launched and turned over to House Speaker Sonny Belmonte and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile at the House of Representatives last Wednesday.

The shadow report is a parallel citizens’ review undertaken by member networks of Social Watch Philippines coinciding with the release of the country’s 4th Progress Report of the on the MDGs.

La Liga along with Social Watch Philippines and its other network members wants the “shadow report” integrated as an input to the new Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) currently being crafted the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

The La Liga paper, which identifies the problems that led to the “lost decade for MDG 7” during the past nine years under the Arroyo administration, has listed a number of recommendations that will help the country get back on track in achieving its goals, particularly on environmental sustainability.

According to the paper, the Philippine government is inclined to haphazardly concluding that it is well on track as far as achieving the MDGs based on various government indicators that seem to reflect improved performance.

“To be able to achieve environmental sustainability, the new administration must change its development path from one that disregards the carrying capacity of the environment to one that recognizes the need to address important environmental issues,” Jonathan Ronquillo, Environment Campaigner of La Liga said.

With the threats of global warming and climate change becoming “too hot” to handle, the new administration, is left with not much time, but definitely not without options.  He stressed the need to arrest the continued deterioration of the ecosystem as well as the increased pressure on its dwindling biodiversity.

The paper said while it was during the Arroyo administration that the Philippines became more active in climate talks, it was also during such period (2001-2010) that the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather events was exposed.

During the period, the Philippines experienced various natural disasters affecting more than 28 million people with damages amounting to more than US$1.7 billion, with “Ondoy”, “Frank” and “Pepeng” being identified as the three topmost devastating typhoons that hit the country in the last two decades, La Liga explained.

“Beyond numbers and statistics which paint a supposedly rosy picture for the country’s environment, there is a need for government and other stakeholders to more objectively assess the impacts of our development track along with the policies and programs that were instituted as well as public financing for the environment sector in the past MDG decade.  This way, both government and non-government development stakeholders will have a more objective basis in developing a low-carbon, climate-sensitive development path, a clearer path for environment sustainability,” Ronquillo said.

Moreover, Ronquillo said there’s a need to push for climate sensitive “3 Ps” or Policies, Programs and “Pondo” (fund) around five (5) critical arenas on the environment and climate change.  These include: disaster response and risk reduction; renewable/sustainable energy systems; biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, fisheries and forestry; clean and green industrial technology; and, ecological waste management.

“We must be able to effectively engage the incoming government in crafting a new MTPDP. For the next MTPDP to be climate sensitive, it must go beyond mere achievement of the MDGs. It must be able to recognize climate change as an urgent national development issue that needs to be integrated in the overall government “3 Ps”, La Liga stressed.