The World Health Organization reported that “there is currently no conclusive evidence that either weather (short-term variations in meteorological conditions) or climate (long-term averages) have a strong influence on transmission” because the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been known to subsist in all regions of the world and all types of climates. However, it stated that almost all recent pandemics originated in wildlife and pointed to evidence that increasing human pressure on the natural environment may drive disease emergence (WHO 2020). Because part of the lessons from the continuing research on infectious diseases is the need to regulate human activities in the natural environment, building green and blue economy resilience must be emphasized.

Resetting the economy post-pandemic and building resilience requires viewing climate targets as complementary to well-being targets. However, tradeoffs are on the horizon. In this webinar session, the following issues will be tackled:

• Who are the crucial stakeholders in accelerating climate targets and building resilience in the green and blue economy? Are they doing enough? Why or why not?
• In what areas can public-private partnerships or even pure private sector participation flourish? Are there areas that can be targeted by stakeholder capitalism and what promise does this hold?
• What are the tradeoffs in pursuing a low carbon future for a developing country like the Philippines? In which sectors are the tradeoffs prominent and can these be quantified?
• How accessible are innovations and solutions for the transition to resilient green and blue economy for developing countries such as the Philippines? What is the extent of the technological capacity for developing countries to research and develop solutions on their own?

PROGRAM

  9:00 am to 11:30 am Manila Time (GMT +8)  

APPC Webinar 3: Green and Inclusive Recovery

Speakers

Tipping or Turning Point: Scaling Up Climate Finance in the Era of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a tipping point or a turning point in the fight against climate change. For the COVID-19 pandemic to prove a turning point, climate action and COVID-19 economic stimulus measures must be mutually supportive. Developing countries must be able to access long-term affordable finance to develop and implement green stimulus measures. This talk will discuss some initiatives that can help shift financial flows towards a low carbon, climate-resilient future, and enable developing countries to catalyze much needed private finance to scale up climate action in the era of COVID-19.

• Dr. German Velasquez
  Director, Division of Mitigation and Adaptation
  Green Climate Fund

How Science Can Help Inform Policies and Decisions on Climate and “Biodiversity”  
The Paris Climate Agreement commits countries to hold global warming to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Achieving this ambitious target will require countries to implement changes to policy and practices in agriculture, forestry and other land use activities, in addition to rapid decarbonization. Nature-based climate solutions include the conservation, restoration and improved management of forests, wetlands and agricultural lands to increase carbon sequestration, reduce CO2 emissions, and enhance climate resilience. Prof. Koh will briefly discuss the opportunities and challenges of nature-based climate solutions in the Southeast Asia region.

• Prof. Koh Lian Pin
  Professor, Conservation Science, Technology and Policy
  Director, Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions
  Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science
  National University of Singapore

Panelists
Mr. John Eric T. Francia
President and Chief Executive Officer
AC Energy Holdings Inc.

Secretary Emmanuel M. De Guzman
Vice Chairperson and Executive Director
Climate Change Commission

Moderator
Dr. Adoracion M. Navarro
Senior Research Fellow
Philippine Institute for Development Studies

PROFILES

DR. GERMAN VELASQUEZ

Director, Division of Mitigation and Adaptation
Green Climate Fund

Dr. German (Jerry) Velasquez is the Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF)'s Division of Mitigation and Adaptation. Jerry heads the Division that provides expertise and technical support in climate change adaptation and mitigation. This includes a thorough understanding of the incremental costs of low emission and climate-resilient investments. 

He also reviews and assesses the pipeline of proposals for adaptation and mitigation activities to be financed by the GCF and assists developing countries and accredited entities in improving their readiness to access funding.

PROFESSOR KOH LIAN PIN

Professor, Conservation Science, Technology and Policy
Director, Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science
National University of Singapore

Professor Koh Lian Pin is an applied ecologist and a pioneer in low-cost conservation drone technology. He brings 16 years of international research experience in the field of sustainability and environmental science, having worked in institutions across Switzerland, Australia and the United States. In 2020, he returned to Singapore under the National Research Foundation’s Returning Singaporean Scientists scheme. His research focuses on developing policy-relevant science and science-based decision support tools to help reconcile humanity’s needs with environmental protection. He is particularly interested in environmental issues in the developing tropics, a region where population growth is most rapid, yet the people are poorest, and where biodiversity is the richest, yet most threatened globally. Prof. Koh is one of the most highly cited conservation scientists in Asia, a TED-Global speaker, Founding Director of ConservationDrones.org and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

MR. JOHN ERIC T. FRANCIA

President and Chief Executive Officer
AC Energy Holdings Inc.

Mr. Eric Francia is the President and Chief Executive Officer of AC Energy Corporation (PSE:ACEN). Under his leadership, Ayala established its energy platform from a standing start in 2011, to become one of the largest renewable energy platforms in Southeast Asia, with over 2000 MW of attributable renewables capacity.

Eric is also a Managing Director and member of the Management Committee of Ayala Corporation since 2009, and was appointed as Chairman of Ayala’s Investment Committee in 2021. He is also a Director of various Ayala group companies including AC Infrastructure, AC Health, AC Ventures, and as Chairman and CEO of ACE Enexor.

Eric earned a Master’s Degree in Management Studies at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, graduating with First Class Honors.  He received his undergraduate degree in Humanities and Political Economy from the University of Asia & the Pacific, graduating magna cum laude.

SECRETARY EMMANUEL M. DE GUZMAN

Vice Chairperson and Executive Director
Climate Change Commission

Manny is an international expert on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, a public health specialist, and an economist. He has more than 30 years of work experience in public service and civil society since 1986, and more than 20 years of professional work experience in the fields of disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation (CCA), and humanitarian action at national and international levels since 1993.

Prior to his appointment as the Secretary of the Climate Change, he was director at the Department of National Defense and deputy administrator at the Office for Civil Defense - National Disaster Coordinating Council in 1998-2001. He was advisor on contingency planning at the National Security Council in 1997-1998. He was head executive assistant and national program manager at the Department of Health in 1986-1997.

Outside government, Manny advised national and local government agencies and international and regional organizations, including the United Nations system, on DRR-CCA for sustainable development, health emergency preparedness and management, multi- hazard early warning, gender mainstreaming, public-private partnership, and policy leadership and advocacy. Manny was also international advisor on DRR-CCA in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, and Vietnam.

DR. ADORACION M. NAVARRO

Senior Research Fellow
Philippine Institute for Development Studies

Dr. Adoracion M. Navarro is a Senior Research Fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). Her research interests are regional (subnational) development, energy and other infrastructure sectors, and public-private partnerships. Her service at the PIDS since 2012 was interrupted by her stint as Undersecretary for Regional Development at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) from November 2016 to June 2020 where she supervised the Regional Development Staff at the central office and the 15 NEDA Regional Offices across the country. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, a MPA major in Economic Policy Management from Columbia University-New York, and a MA in Economics from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

This webinar is organized by Philippine Institute for Development Studies, with support from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.