Preliminary Report on Discussion on Climate Action Plan & Alternative Budget 2012 (May 26)

Here is an initial report about the May 26 Discussion on the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) of the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI). Also included is PKIs perspectives on the Alternative Budget Implications on the NCCAP. Read the report here.

Partido Kalikasan Commentary:

ProposedFramework for the Review

As we receive sufficient information on the budget formulations of the NCCAP, it is important that we have a framework to review how we will integrate this to the Alternative Budget for 2012.

We recommend that inclusion of budget items from the NCCAP to the Alternative Budget must prioritize the following considerations:

1. Priority for ecosystem conservation-focused adaptation actions; starting with the most vulnerable communities to climate change.
2. Priority for ensuring food self-sufficiency production systems that is resilient to climate change.
3. Priority for equipment, facilities and capacity development to allow most vulnerable communities for early warning systems for natural disasters aggravated by climate change.
4. Priority for building capacities of local communities to adopt to specific impacts ofclimate change.
5. Priority for fully mobilizing government human resources for climate change adaptation actions. Take into account the principles agreed on the operative principle on climate finance.
6. Allocationto allow the use of the NCCAP as a "Green Audit" mechanism for the PDP(2011-2016)

These climate finance operative principles are:

• Adaptation as a national development & fiscal priority.
• Funding for adaptation should come from public funds.
• Funding for adaptation should be over and above ODA.
• Loans should be a last resort, even for mitigation; should be untied and in concessional terms.
• Discourage financing for adaptation projects that will be sourced from external loans(i.e. from bilateral/multilateral financing institutions), except for tech transfer where we are open to negotiate for loans, but in concessional terms.
• Private sector investments and funds from market instruments can be supplement financial needs of the NCCAP but should be subjected to strict & fair regulatory mechanisms