Manila: The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has underscored the importance of a more integrated and coordinated regional response to the climate crisis, noting that fragmented national approaches are no longer sufficient to address increasingly interconnected risks across Southeast Asia.

According to Philippines News Agency, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje highlights the need to shift to a whole-of-system approach that aligns climate action, economic stability, and energy systems across the region. 'The Philippines approaches this challenge with the recognition that climate risks, economic stability, and energy systems across ASEAN are increasingly interconnected. At the same time, responses remain largely national in scope,' Borje said during the ASEAN Climate Week inaugural session held via online platform on Monday.

'This gap-between shared exposure and fragmented control-underscores the need for more integrated and coordinated approaches,' he added. Borje emphasized that while countries face shared climate threats, current responses remain largely siloed, limiting the region's ability to build long-term resilience. He said climate ambition must be matched with a whole-of-systems approach that supports sustained development and economic stability.

Recognizing ASEAN as a key platform for strengthening coordination and partnerships to address the global climate crisis, the CCC also noted its potential role in advancing a unified climate strategy among member states. In his remarks during the same event, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed that ASEAN is 'at the frontlines of the global climate crisis, as stronger storms, rising seas, prolonged droughts, and devastating floods have become realities for millions across the Southeast Asian region.'

The President added that confronting these challenges is a shared responsibility, and that ASEAN has already shown that common problems across the region can be overcome through collective purpose and resolve. The ASEAN Climate Week, held from April 27 to May 1 and hosted by the Philippines, seeks to advance Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and promote stronger regional cooperation through high-level dialogues, technical exchanges, and capacity-building activities.