The Philippines' continued preference for dirty energy sources like coal is no longer justifiable especially with the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) latest climate science findings, the Power for People Coalition (P4P) said on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
“The IPCC’s latest report affirms something climate-vulnerable Filipinos already know: that the climate crisis is upon us. It will continue to impose suffering on communities and life systems globally," P4P convenor Gerry Arances said in a statement.
"Science is clear that our reckless dependence on fossil fuels is to blame for it, and this report invalidates any remaining excuse to keep using dirty energy if we wish to avert even more unthinkable consequences,” he said.
According to the IPCC, the 1.5°Celsius (C) temperature rise threshold--which is the more ambitious goal set by nations under the Paris Agreement and translates to the survival of more vulnerable groups and creatures than other thresholds--is already likely to be reached within the next two decades even under a very low greenhouse gas (GHG) scenario.
High volumes of GHGs act as a sort of blanket that trap heat close to the earth's surface, thus accelerating climate change.
The most devastating projections from high GHG emissions scenarios indicate as much as a 4-6°C rise in temperature by the end of the century.
“Developing or not, no nation in the world has any business introducing more fossil fuels into their energy mix. Our country already placed the survival of Filipinos in peril with decades of obsession with coal, and the only responsible way forward is to throw any notion of technology-neutrality into the fire.
"The Department of Energy (DOE), assisted by all other government bodies, must completely cancel all remaining coal in the national pipeline while keeping the rise of gas and other fossil fuels at bay,” Arances said.
The Philippines belatedly submitted last April its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The NDC represents the country’s pledged actions to help achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement, which is to limit the rise of global temperature to 1.5°C.
Under its NDC, the country committed to reduce GHG emissions by 75 percent between 2020 and 2030. However, of the 75 percent target that would come from the agriculture, wastes, industry, transport, and energy sectors, 72.29 percent is conditional (needs international funding or support) while the remaining 2.71 percent is unconditional.
P4P, which is composed of clean energy and climate justice advocacy groups, also urged Philippine authorities to be guided by findings of the IPCC report in the upcoming climate negotiations in November.
“Decades of unheeded warnings and climate-blind leadership brought us to this situation. The duty of holding on to development pathways least catastrophic to Filipinos is a heavy burden the Philippine government now has no choice but to carry. We need them to be bold in demanding the highest possible emissions reductions globally, and upholding climate justice by ensuring that developing nations like ours are provided the means necessary to turn the swift and just transition to sustainable energy from renewables the climate crisis requires into reality,” Arances explained.
Ian Rivera, national coordinator of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), described the 6th IPCC Assessment Report as "catastrophic to all the governments of the world since it is a flipside of what is now the failures of political leaders to challenge head-on the single biggest challenge of humanity."
Bishop Colin Bagaforo, chairman of Caritas Philippines, tries to sum up what is at stake for the people of today and future generations.
“As the severity of the climate situation dawns upon us once more, we may find ourselves disheartened - perhaps even in fear of what the future holds especially for the young and for those yet to be born. But it is precisely this that should get us on our feet. Never has it been more urgent for us to unite in action for the healing of our common home,” he said.