The declaration was signed on 19 November by Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga in Quezon City, and Simon Watts, New Zealand Minister of Climate Change, in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he is attending COP29.
Catherine McIntosh, New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines, was a witness to the signing of the Joint Declaration in Quezon City.
“It was a pleasure to be present at this important next step in the cooperative relationship between New Zealand and the Philippines as our countries look to work together on a vital global issue,” Ambassador McIntosh said.
“Both of our countries are committed to the Paris Agreement and share ambitions to build climate-resilient communities while accelerating the transition to a low-emissions economy.
“Greater cooperation will be an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences as we address the shared challenge of climate change.”
The declaration sets an 18-month timetable to formalize the cooperation framework for enhancing the partnership on climate change, focusing on innovation, cooperation and sustainable development. New Zealand and the Philippines will pursue this in a cross-cutting way, including conducting information exchange, encouraging business to business contacts, fostering research, development and deployment of renewable energy and zero emissions transport technologies and sustainable agricultural practices.