Jose Rodel Clapano (The Philippine
Star) - December 5, 2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Climate
justice groups have demanded an end to the use of coal in the country.
Power for People Coalition (P4P) and
other climate advocates held actions across the Philippines on Nov. 29, two
days before the 25th Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid, Spain.
In Manila, the P4P advocates
included one parading in a costume of the Spanish-speaking cartoon character
Dora the Explorer to urge global leaders attending COP 25 to say “hasta la
vista” to dirty and costly energy from coal.
“It has been a quarter of a century since COP
negotiations to avert catastrophic climate change began. Yet after 25 years of
talks and pledges, we are seeing emissions rise to an all-time high,” P4P
convenor Gerry Arances said, adding that 85 percent of the world’s energy comes
from coal and other fossil fuels.
National coordinator of the
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice Ian Rivera said targets set in past
COPs have been lackluster so far.
“Coal makes up 40 percent of global
fossil fuel emissions. Climate impacts like Haiyan and Ketsana and the long
drought in the Philippines in 2016, the forest fires in California and flooding
in Europe – all these should have spurred an iron-handed approach toward coal
among global leaders,” he said.
The call to end coal was supported
by groups from communities across the country, including La Union, Quezon,
Palawan, Masbate, Pangasinan, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Lanao del Norte,
Davao and Cagayan de Oro.
Rara Ada of the Youth for Climate
Justice said the youths are taking to the streets of Mindanao.
“We refuse to allow coal and its
proponents to continue stealing, swiping away our future and that of
generations to come,” she said.
The groups, however, reminded people
that the great obligation of developed countries in ensuring the shift to a
net-zero carbon future does not give the Philippines freedom to recklessly
expand coal use.
“Of the 60 countries still seeking
to add to their coal fleet, the Philippines is the ninth biggest with 12 GW of
coal projects in the pipeline,” Arances, also executive director of the Center
for Energy, Ecology and Development, said.
Avril de Torres, convenor of the
Ecological Justice League of Youth Leaders, said climate-vulnerable Philippines
must do its part in cutting emissions and strengthening resistance against
coal.
Bishop Gerry Alminaza of San Carlos
emphasized that the resistance of communities uniting against coal is vital to
the clean energy movement.
Recently, the provincial governments
of Negros island issued proclamations against the entrance of coal, thanks to
the persistent demands of residents.
Father Edu Gariguez of Caritas
Philippines said leaders must do their part in addressing the climate emergency
people are facing today.
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