MANILA – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has urged water utilities and other essential service providers to align their operations and investments with the Philippines’ national climate commitments to strengthen climate resilience.
In a news release Monday, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje said climate risks in the Philippines are systemic and require coordinated action among the government, the private sector and the communities.
“Climate action does not succeed on policy alone. Nor does it succeed on infrastructure alone. It succeeds when institutions, communities, and individual Filipinos move together,” he said during the 1st Manila Water Sustainability Leadership Talk held in Quezon City on Friday.
“The role of water utilities is fundamental. We must ensure water security despite a changing climate by climate-proofing infrastructure, diversifying water sources, and integrating nature-based solutions for watershed management,” he added.
Borje highlighted the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) as the country’s core key frameworks guiding climate action and advancing sustainable development.
He underscored that water companies can support mitigation through energy efficiency and low-carbon operations, improved wastewater treatment, and adaptation through resilient, risk-informed infrastructure.
Manila Water President and CEO Roberto Locsin affirmed this, saying that sustainability in water services extends beyond basic delivery, with daily operations serving as opportunities for direct climate action.
The Sustainability Leadership Talk serves as Manila Water’s platform for engaging leaders from government, academe, and industry on climate action and resilience.
The CCC, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment, under the Paris Agreement, to actively engaging with the private sector to advance climate-resilient development and protect essential services amid climate change. (PNA)