(The Philippine Star) | Updated June 20, 2016 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines –
The city government of Batangas has been asked to reject an application for the
construction of a 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the area.
In a statement issued
over the weekend, the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), a non-government
organization, urged the city council to deny the application.
The FDC particularly
asked Gerry de la Roca, chairman of the city council’s Land Use Committee, to
lead the vote against the construction of two boiler units of the new coal
plant.
Although the group did
not identify the proponent of the project, records from the Department of
Energy showed that a leading business conglomerate in the country is building a
600-MW coal-fired power plant in the city.
Major environmentalist
groups have been opposing the project since last year.
The FDC said the
coal-fired plant was the target of a campaign against coal energy and power
plants held on May 4 in the city, and as part of the global campaign to break
free from fossil fuels.
Along with other
environmental groups, FDC has been describing the so-called clean coal pushed
by coal developers as a “dirty lie.”
“It has been proven
that coal-fired plants are detrimental to the environment and health. If the
government is serious with its commitment to reduce by 70 percent the country’s
carbon emissions by 2030, it should pressure local governments to reject any application
to build new coal-fired power plants,” the group said.
It reminded the city
council of its legal, social and moral duty to protect the rights of the people
and the planet from destruction.
Editor's note: The
original article reported that the government has committed to cutting carbon
emissions by 70 percent by 2020 instead of 2030. This has since been corrected.
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