Philippines
Introduction
The Philippines joined the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) in 2008.
The Philippines has an extensive climate policy framework to mitigate methane emissions and achieve national and international climate commitments. These measures include policies to support the phaseout of coal as an energy source and an increase in methane measuring and reporting activities. The Philippines is also an active member of multiple international collaboration efforts to deliver climate change mitigation results and achieve global methane abatement targets.
- Introduction
- Methane Emissions Summary
- Methane Commitments and Plans
- Methane Actions
- Ministries and Agencies Supporting Methane Actions
- GMI Delegates
Last Updated: October 2024
Methane Emissions Summary
Methane emissions in the Philippines primarily come from the agriculture and waste sectors, with smaller volumes from the energy, transport, and industrial sectors. In 2020, methane emissions totaled approximately 70,155 GgCO2e, with 54.8% from agriculture and 40.8% from waste.
Source: Republic of the Philippines, Philippine Statistics Authority, The Country’s Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reached 204.33 Teragrams of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent in 2020, 9 July 2024. https://psa.gov.ph/content/countrys-total-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reached-20433-teragrams-carbon-dioxide-equivalent; Emissions of Greenhouse Gases by Key Sector, https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/enrad/Table%203.1%20Philippine%20Greenhouse%20Gas%20Emissions%2C%202015%20and%202020.xlsx.
Methane Commitments and Plans
Methane mitigation efforts in the Philippines are guided by national and international commitments and plans.
National
- The Philippines’ 2021 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, by a total of 75% – 2.71% unconditional and 72.29% conditional – by 2030 across the agriculture, waste, industry, transport, and energy sectors.
- The 2019 National Strategy to Reduce SLCPs from the Municipal Solid Waste Sector commits to increasing the capture and use of landfill gas by 53% by 2030.
- The Philippine Energy Plan 2018-2040 addresses methane produced by natural gas activities and methane emitted from coalbeds, and supports methane measurement and reporting activities. The plan also reports on the various sources of methane emissions within the energy sector.
- The National Framework Strategy on Climate Change 2010-2022 identifies methane emissions as a powerful greenhouse gas and affirms the Philippines commitment to address methane in the waste sector by implementing waste management legislation.
International
- New Bilateral commitments were formed between the U.S. and the Philippines after a meeting between Philippine President Marcos and U.S. President Joe Biden in June 2023. The agreements reaffirmed the two countries' commitment to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, including utilization of technologies to address methane emissions.
- The Philippines is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which collaborates with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to implement climate change mitigation efforts recommended in the CCAC-United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Air Pollution in Asia and Pacific: Science-Based Solutions report, including methane emissions reduction activities. The report proposes 25 different policy and technology measures across all sectors that would result in a 45% reduction in methane emissions.
- The Philippines joined the Global Methane Pledge in 2021, agreeing to take voluntary actions to contribute to a collective effort to reduce global methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
- The Philippines has been a partner of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition since 2015, supporting activities to reduce methane and other short-lived climate pollutants.
Ministries and Agencies Supporting Methane Actions
Explore the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' website to learn more about its role in addressing methane emissions and supporting climate initiatives in the Philippines.