After a successful soft launch at an online roundtable in November 2022, the Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative (CCLI), together with ClientEarth and the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) launched the legal opinion at an in-person event, ‘Directors’ Duties & Responsibilities and Disclosure Obligations Under Philippine Law On Climate Change Risks’. The launch event was held on 27 April 2023, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at The Fairmont Makati, Makati, The Philippines.

The legal opinion, authored by Cesar L. Villanueva, Senior Founding Partner at Villanueva Gabionza & Dy, Lily K. Gruba, Senior Partner at Zambrano Gruba Caganda & Advincula, Angelo Patrick F. Advincula, Senior Partner at Zambrano Gruba Caganda & Advincula, and Joyce Anne C. Wong, provides valuable insights into the legal obligations of directors of for-profit corporations with regard to climate change-related risks under Philippine law.

The launch event featured a panel discussion on the legal, governance, and financial risk implications of climate change and the latest trends in climate governance that can help company directors navigate this rapidly evolving field. Alex Cooper, (Corporate/Finance and Climate Change Lawyer, CCLI) presented the key messages of the legal opinion and the international landscape of climate risk governance. This was followed by a panel discussion with Atty. Cesar Villanueva (legal opinion lead author), Ms. Sherisa Nuesa (Independent Director, Manila Water), Mr. Eric Francia (President and CEO, ACEN), Atty. Alex Cabrera (Vice-President, Management Association of the Philippines), Atty. Thomas Clark (General Counsel, Asian Development Bank), and Atty. Roel Refran (COO, Philippine Stock Exchange). This panel was moderated by Dr. Carlos Gatmaitan (ICD) and Ms. Joyce Tan (ClientEarth).

If you missed this event, you can watch the following videos:

Highlights

Full recording