An environmental watchdog has sounded the alarm on RA 12120 or the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act, which seeks to boost the share of natural gas, a polluting fuel, in the country’s energy mix.
While the law aims to promote it as “a safe, efficient, and cost-effective source of energy,” natural gas is a harmful fossil fuel that contributes to climate warming, and it’s an act of greenwashing to say otherwise, Greenpeace campaigner Jefferson Chua stressed.
RA 12120 also incentivizes investments in the Philippines’ natural gas industry by opening the floor to investors through a competition system, transparency and fair trade, and active policy support.
Its goal is to make energy “affordable,” but electricity made from burning liquefied natural gas is two to three times pricier for Filipinos compared to renewable sources, Sam Reynolds, research lead and energy finance analyst at IEEFA in the US, told Associated Press.
“The new gas industry development law enables more profiteering from an industry that is scrambling to secure its continued relevance, while continuing to contribute to the dangerous heating of the planet,” Chua said.
Compared to coal, the dirty fuel burns "cleaner" as it emits around half the carbon emissions per unit of electricity generated, but will produce more emissions over time as we adapt to increasing energy demands, said US-based nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists.
A peek into the past
Methane possesses a warming potential around 80 times higher than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned.
Following the liquefied natural gas (LNG) buildout in Batangas province, the law is expected to help the country achieve its goal of becoming a hub for LNG in the Asia-Pacific region.
It’s set to construct two dozen power plants and has already caused harm on fish catches, surrounding communities, and coral life since the first plant was built in 2002. Similarly, the Verde Island Passage, known as "the center of the center" of marine shorefish biodiversity, has since faced environmental threats from potential methane leaks and disruption of sensitive ecosystems.
“A cozier environmental policy for gas investments unfortunately means longer lock-in periods for fossil fuel dependence. This law will cost us critical and valuable time to achieve a just energy transition of the Philippines’ already meager target of 50 percent renewable energy by 2050,” Greenpeace campaigner said.
"Expanding the current bounty of inexpensive natural gas alone would not slow the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide," an analysis by the US DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory noted, pointing out that natural gas is ultimately methane—a harmful climate pollutant.
What can be done
Chua said instead of yielding to oil and gas companies, the Philippines must carve its own path by taking concrete steps away from fossil fuel dependence, and demand payment for escalating loss and damage from oil and gas companies.
He also called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize the welfare of communities and the environment and ensure that laws root in climate justice, which set legal frameworks to hold polluters accountable.
“The president must use his significant influence to reverse this decision, as well as to improve the policy and infrastructure environment for renewable energy. His administration must mandate a net-zero target that would ensure the phase-out of coal, oil, and gas, and start enabling the transition of energy systems toward a massive uptake of renewables,” he said.
Methane, the main component of natural gas, is accountable for almost a third of global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution (year 1750), Paris-based International Energy Agency noted on its Global Methane Tracker. Chua then underscored that the Philippines’ detour to renewable energy through natural gas "runs counter to science, common sense, and climate justice."
“The president’s term coincides with the most crucial years for climate action. We call on him to do what is right and choose the wellbeing of the Filipino people over profit for an industry largely responsible for the crisis endangering millions of people in the Philippines and the world over,” he expressed.