Manila, July 2025 – In a seminal event, representatives from 25 national agencies convened for a two-day workshop that will strengthen national capacity in modelling the economic impacts of climate change and inform just transition measures. This activity is a key initiative of the Climate Finance Network (CFN) project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines in partnership with the Department of Finance (DoF), with financial support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme. 

The workshop, held at Crowne Plaza in Ortigas on 29-30 July, brought together technical experts and policymakers from key government agencies to explore a new analytical and modelling framework that simulates climate change’s impact on the economy. In the opening remarks delivered on behalf of Undersecretary Maria Luwalhati C. Dorotan Tiuseco, John Adrian Narag, Director of DOF’s Climate Finance Policy Group, emphasized the importance of collaboration, “This two day workshop is an invitation for all of us to foster synergy in developing policies that we hope can strengthen fiscal resilience against risks of climate change and disasters.”

Central to the workshop was a state-of-the-art modelling tool, developed as part of a regional initiative, which integrates climate and economic data to simulate different climate scenarios and assess their implications for national development. The Philippines is one of five pilot countries participating in this initiative, positioning it at the forefront of climate-informed economic planning.

“The long-term nature of climate impacts demands long-term thinking and it demands models that will help us craft resilience strategies that look beyond short-term pressures and safeguard future outcomes. The UK is committed in partnership with the Philippines to mitigate the impacts of climate change. We know that the cost of inaction outweighs cost of investments,” said Ellen Anthony, Second Secretary of Climate, UK FCDO.

The workshop’s relevance was underscored by recent events, as the country faced significant disruptions from typhoons and the southwest monsoon just a week prior. Edwine Carrie, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Philippines, reflected on the human cost, “When the country loses one billion per year because of typhoons, it affects the most underserved segments of the population, not only in loss of life but also loss of livelihoods. My personal hope is that this model will help improve decision-making to ensure that communities at the local level are better equipped to deal with the economic impact of disasters.”

The development of the tool is one of the priority projects of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Sustainable Finance (ITSF) or the Green Force, co-chaired by the DOF and Climate Climate Change Commission (CCC), for evidence-based policymaking and strategic fiscal programming. The event was attended by member agencies such as the  Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP),  Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Insurance Commission (IC), and the Public-Private Partnership Center (PPP Center); as well as government representatives from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), Philippine Guarantee Corporation, Development Bank of the Philippines, and Land Bank of the Philippines. 

The event concluded with a call to action for continued collaboration, practical application, data sharing, and model calibration to ensure the tool’s relevance to the Philippine context. Cristina Gregorio, Regional Climate Finance Specialist of UNDP emphasized the importance of localizing applications and ownership, “While the tool will generate results on the impact of climate change on various economic sectors, it will be each country that will generate such results. Exercising ownership in the process, each government, each agency or ministry will also have the freedom to determine the policy recommendations based on the results.”

Contact Information: 

Charlene Erica Balaan, Communications Analyst, charlene.balaan@undp.org 

Joseph Eijansantos, Project Management Specialist, joseph.eijansantos@undp.org

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. 

In the Philippines, UNDP fosters human development for peace and prosperity. Working with central and local governments as well as civil society, and building on global best practices, UNDP strengthens capacities of women, men and institutions to empower them to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan. Through advocacy and development projects, with a special focus on vulnerable groups, UNDP works to ensure a better life for the Filipino people. Learn more at ph.undp.org or follow at @UNDPPH.