Why equality matters in Southeast Asia's climate change fight
Mary Ann Lucille Sering says leaders in developing Southeast Asia need to recognise that, in addition to developed countries, they too must act on global warming, for the good of their poor and economies
Countries in Southeast Asia have an opportunity to tackle both poverty and climate change, by building greater resilience to natural disasters and reaping the benefits of low-carbon growth.
A central goal of developing countries over the past decade has been to spread the gains of our economic growth to reduce inequality. By hurting the poor most, climate change now threatens to unravel those efforts. A report last month for the Asian Development Bank, "To Foster Inclusive Growth, Tackle Inequality and Climate Change", found that the poor were hit first and hardest when natural disasters strike.
By living on the edge, physically and financially, they have the least capacity to cope. The report concluded that fighting inequality and climate change can work hand in hand: pursuing policies which help the poor can boost their resilience to climate change; equally, curbing carbon emissions can reduce inequality by limiting future climate disasters.
We in the Philippines understand the dangers, after Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,300 people in 2013, left some 6 million people without jobs, and pushed an extra 1.5 million into extreme hardship.
We also know that our region is at risk. The rating agency Standard & Poor's last year ranked more than 100 economies according to their climate vulnerability. They placed four Southeast Asian nations in the top 10, including the Philippines, reflecting our agrarian economies, coastal cities, vulnerability to tropical cyclones and relatively low income.
The Philippines is stepping up its fight against climate change, even with our limited resources. Our installed capacity of zero-carbon, geothermal power is second only to the US, and we are implementing a national strategy for climate-smart development. But we must do more.