Lotilla's replaces Toni Yulo Loyzaga as secretary of the environment agency in the wake of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, Jr's cabinet revamp. Green groups say his selection "rings alarm bells" due to his fossil fuel ties.
Despite their huge potential as blue carbon sinks, the majority are under threat from the cultivation of palm oil, rice and aquaculture at current carbon prices, on top of cyclones and sea-level rise over the next century, researchers warn.
A new natural capital accounting law and approved global carbon market trading rules could drive nature-based solutions. Eco-Business examines six key trends in the Philippines' push for decarbonisation and a just transition.