Philippine official blames developed countries for worsening climate change

InterAksyon.com: Every time we attend this conference, I'm beginning to feel that we are negotiating on who is to live and who is to die." This was the statement of Mary Ann Lucille Sering, executive director of the Philippines Climate Change Commission (PCCC), when she delivered on November 20 her message to fellow delegates at the United Nations Climate Summit in Warsaw, Poland.

Sering, also PCCC's vice chairperson, expressed her frustration over the failure of signatories to the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to meet the objective of the treaty. UNFCCC's objective is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."

"Nineteen years have passed since the convention came into force. And if we are to review our progress, would it be right for me to conclude that we've failed miserably?" Sering said.

..."Looking at science and how it manifested itself not only in Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), but also other events like Katrina in the United States, the heat wave in France, the wildfires in Australia, and other extreme events occurring after observed increased warming, should we not be all ashamed being here?" Sering said.

Sering blamed developed countries for their failure to meet their commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, which had made extreme weather events such as Yolanda more frequent and intense.

"You see, if the developed countries had shown the leadership to reduce greenhouse gases at the onset of this convention, we, the most vulnerable, would not have to adapt. We would not have to ask or push for adaptation support," said Sering...