Philippines

Last updated: September 2024

The country is one of the priority countries with which the International Climate Initiative (IKI) maintains a particularly close cooperation.

The Philippines is one of the 18 megadiverse countries and is deemed to be particularly suffering from the impacts of climate change due to the nature of its island location. The mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and the adaptation to climate change form an important part of the IKI priorities in the country, in accordance with their national significance. According to the long-term Climate Risk Index prepared by Germanwatch in 2021 for the years 2000 to 2019, the Philippines ranks fourth in the list of countries most affected by the impacts of climate change. According to a report of the World Bank, the risks comprise tropical cyclones, floods and landslides. According to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), the Philippines is listed fifth in the number of plant species and harbours five percent of the global flora. The proportion of endemic species is very high.

The first official Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of the country was published in April 2021. By 2030, the Philippines intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent compared to a business-as-usual scenario, with a focus on the agriculture, industry, transport, energy and waste sectors. In 2020, the Department of Energy (DoE) published a moratorium for new coal-fired power stations, which will presumably support the expansion of renewable energies in the country. In addition, the Philippines has its own authority, the Climate Change Commission (CCC), which focuses on climate action.

However, several typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic have severely impacted the country in the past few years, making economic rescue the paramount issue. However, the ongoing review of the “Philippine Energy Plan” offers the government an opportunity to accelerate decarbonisation by means of more solar energy.

In 2016, the Philippines published the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2028 (NBSAP). The strategic instrument envisages that biological diversity will be restored, valued, effectively managed and secured by 2028; the ecosystem services are to be maintained in order to support healthy, resilient Philippine communities.

At the 2023 World Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, the Philippine government presented the first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050 to strengthen the Philippines' resilience to the impacts of climate change; the plan was published in May 2024.

In July 2024, the Philippines was chosen unanimously as the seat of the Supervisory Board of the International Fund against Climate-related Loss and Damage.
In the Philippines, the IKI is placing particular focus on the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

With regard to mitigation, the IKI portfolio holds bilateral projects for renewable energy sources and sustainable mobility. Among other things, regional undertakings in the mitigation sector comprise projects for climate-friendly consumption and production, clean energy and urban climate action.

In the area of adaptation, the IKI portfolio includes bilateral projects for climate-resilient urban planning, disaster risk management as well as marine and coastal protection. Regional projects in the adaptation area focus in particular on the topic of ecosystem-based adaptation measures.

As part of the country call with the Philippines in 2018, the collaboration project Transformative Actions for Climate and Ecological Protection and Development (TRANSCEND) was chosen, which addresses several funding priorities at the same time:

Climate change and disaster-resilient development;

Low carbon economy/transition to low emission development;

Strengthening of climate policy (structures, processes and actors).

Interface project

Most priority countries of the IKI also engage in so-called IKI interface projects, which have permanent project offices in the capital city of the respective country. Alongside their own, country-specific project commission, these interface projects are also tasked with maintaining close contact to environment and climate ministries as well as networking with other relevant ministries in the field of climate and biodiversity policy. Beyond this, the interface projects also work to network all of the IKI projects in the country and region together so as to promote synergies.

In Philippines, the interface function is currently represented by the TRANSCEND project .

Project priorities

The project comprises the following components:

management of natural resources;
resilient communities and buildings;
climate-intelligent industries and services as well as energy efficiency;
climate-intelligent transport;
support of climate policy decision-making mechanisms;
function as an IKI interface: Promotion of dialogue on climate and biodiversity between the IKI projects in the country as well as between other actors (networking opportunities and knowledge management).

Project contact

IKI-Philippines(at)giz.de

Transformative Actions for Climate and Ecological Protection and Development (TRANSCEND)

Insights into the project work

All projects in the country

In a nutshell

Region: Asia

Population: 117.3 million (World Bank, 2023)

CO₂eq emissions (incl. LUCF): 237.6 million t (ClimateWatch, 2021)

CO₂eq emissions per capita (incl. LUCF): 2.1 t (ClimateWatch, 2021)

Total energy supply (IRENA, 2021):

33 % RE (48 % Bioenergy - 4 % Hydro/marine - 1 % Solar - 46 % Geothermal)
31 % Oil
5 % Gas
32 % Coal + others

IKI projects in the country (last updated: July 2024):

bilateral projects: 8 ongoing, 14 completed
regional projects: 8 ongoing, 13 completed
global projects: 13 ongoing, 27 completed

ClimateWatch

NDC partnership: country page

IKI partner ministries:

Climate Change Commission (CCC)
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
Department of Energy (DOE)
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Department of Transportation (DOTr)
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)
Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG)
Department of Agriculture (DA)
Department of Tourism (DOT)
Department of Finance (DOF)

The IKI Strategy

The IKI wants to maximise its impact on climate action and biodiversity conservation. To this end, it concentrates its funding activities on prioritised fields of action within the four funding areas. Another key element is the close cooperation with selected partner countries, especially with the IKI’s priority countries.

Click here for the IKI Strategy