The responsibilities given to the DENR by Republic Act 9729 or Climate Change Act, the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), and the National Budget Memorandum 14 underscore the need for an organizational structure within the DENR to ensure focus on the following:

1. Climate change issues/areas of concern
2. Climate proofing of DENR policies, programs, and projects
3. Monitoring of DENR climate change-related programs, the CCAM-DRR Roadmap, and the Program Convergence Budget for the member agencies of the Cabinet Cluster on CCAM-DRR
4. Oversight function in DENR’s various climate change-related concerns
5. Establishment and maintenance of the information management system on climate change risks, activities, and investments in collaboration with other concerned national government agencies (NGAs), institutions, and local government units (LGUs)

Since 2016, the DENR Climate Change Service operates under the Office of the Undersecretary for Climate Change and Mining Concerns, headed by a Director.