World governments are meeting at the United Nations climate talks in Poland with the aim of bringing together a 2015 deal to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.
Filipino climate change commissioner Yeb Sano says the super typhoon that's estimated to have killed more than 10,000 people in the Philippines last week is a reminder of the need to act swiftly.
"I speak for my delegation but I speak for the countless people who will no longer be able to speak for themselves after perishing from the storm.
"I speak also for those who have been orphaned by the storm. I speak for those people now racing against time to save survivors and alleviate the suffering of those affected. We can take drastic action now to ensure that we prevent a future where super typhoons become a way of life."
He said Haiyan "was [like] nothing we have ever experienced before, or perhaps nothing that any country has ever experienced before".
"To anyone who continues to deny the reality that is climate change, I dare you to get off your ivory tower and away from the comfort of your armchair," Mr Sano said.
"You may want to pay a visit to the Philippines right now."
SBS Radio's Filipino program will host a two-hour radiothon on Friday (November 15) to raise funds for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in The Philippines. The radiothon, airing in conjunction with the Australian Red Cross, will be broadcast on Friday from 10am to noon (AEST) on SBS Radio 2.
