THE proposition that the Philippines should drop, or at least not prioritize, its emissions-reduction pledge (which is formally called the Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC) under the 2015 Paris Agreement is considered by most here to be blasphemous. And there are some strong reasons why it should be. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the primary cause of the destructive climate change that is increasingly wreaking havoc on the human population all over the world, so obviously, reducing, or ideally, eliminating them entirely should be at the top of the list of climate change response measures.

However, during the presentations at our Model Cities and Municipalities Forum on Thursday, September 19, the suggestion that the Philippines' emissions-reduction goal may be a misplaced priority was raised. Since it was aired in the context of developing sustainable cities and communities, it was a sincerely offered argument that bears consideration.