DENR secretary Cuna says PH commits to 75% emissions reduction

By Rhaydz Barcia

The Philippine government has committed to a 75 percent net emissions reduction and avoidance target from 2025 to 2035, based on projected cumulative business-as-usual emissions, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna said Tuesday.

“Our national trajectory is unequivocally defined by low-carbon and climate-resilient development, firmly anchored in our enhanced 2026 nationally determined contribution (NDC), approved by His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” Cuna said during the Philippine Net Zero Conference 2026 at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City on Sept. 15.

He said the 2026 NDC consists of a 7 percent unconditional contribution through domestic resources and national capacities, and a 68 percent conditional contribution dependent on climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building.

“The distinction reflects the integrity of our national context and fiscal realities while sustaining our high ambition. The 2026 NDC is our national economic platform linking climate action directly to energy security, economic stability, fiscal resilience, and social protection,” Cuna said.

He said achieving the 75 percent target requires a unified operational architecture covering the country’s long-term strategy, NDC implementation plan, just transition framework, carbon market policy framework, and financial and investment plan.

Cuna stressed that collaboration for a low-carbon future must go beyond dialogue and translate into structured and accountable action to bridge the gap between climate ambition and economic delivery.

“A low-carbon transition cannot succeed if it is technically sound but socially disruptive,” he said, adding that the country’s transition framework seeks to protect vulnerable sectors, informal workers and local communities.

Asked before the conference about working with President Marcos on matters under the DENR, Cuna said he needs to study the issues extensively because the President asks many questions.

“I need to study more because the President asked so many questions,” he said.

Themed “Bridging Gaps: Radical Collaboration for a Net Zero Future,” the Philippine Net Zero Conference 2026 was organized by the Net Zero Carbon Alliance (NZCA), a private-sector coalition founded in 2021 by Energy Development Corp. (EDC), a First Gen Group company.

The conference marked NZCA’s fifth anniversary. The alliance guides organizations operating in the Philippines through a five-stage decarbonization process, from committing to net zero and measuring their carbon footprint to developing and implementing a decarbonization roadmap, tracking progress, and validating greenhouse gas inventories.

NZCA currently has 47 partner companies committed to reducing their carbon footprints.