Declare National Climate Emergency, Address the Ongoing Impacts of Climate Change, Invest on Clean and Renewable Energy

Quezon City, Philippines – The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) demanded Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (PBBM), to declare a national climate emergency in time for his third State of The Nation Address (SONA) today, July 22 due to the intensifying climate impacts the country is facing.

It has been almost a decade since the Paris Agreement in which countries committed to limit global warming to 1.5C, to prevent the worst effects of climate change, and keep it well below the 2C or the aspirational 1.5C over pre-industrial levels that experts consider to be the outer bound of safety. The United Nations (UN) has since been urging countries to declare a national climate emergency.

PMCJ called out the administration on the continued expansion of coal and fossil fuels, conflicting with the Renewable Energy (RE) Act which prioritizes RE deployment. “While PBBM has already set policies on renewables and even did sortie to attract investments, his administration has conflict over its priorities confusing the public and sending wrong signals to business and market,” PMCJ National Coordinator Ian Rivera said.

Through the efforts of national and local civil society organizations in the climate talks, the Philippines is set to host the Loss and Damage (L&D) Fund. Its board was inaugurated in 2023 during the Conference of Parties (COP). PMCJ asserted that now is the strategic moment for us to take the lead in delivering climate funds and commitments in an urgent and timely manner to shape a full-swing transition for a complete system change.

“PBBM could have started strongly to deliver climate actions. His renewable energy push and presence in climate talks sets him apart from his immediate predecessor. However, his cabinet failed to deliver his marching orders. His Environment Secretary is unpopular to the civil society and environment think tanks as she is not consultative and very pro-big business. His Energy Secretary had failed to deliver the executive requirements for PBBM’s energy transition program necessary to fulfill climate action and energy security,” Rivera highlighted.

“His cabinet is imbued with so much conflict of interest, that if he will not address these will make it hard for him to survive the next half,” Rivera added.

The Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) 2023-2050 is projected to rely on fossils predominantly and there is also now a push for nuclear energy. PMCJ stands that these are all false solutions that accelerate energy insecurity and danger to the people as it does not address the immediate need to reduce loss and damage. “The PEP lacks specifics on modernizing and expanding the grid to accommodate additional renewable energy capacity, hindering efforts to mitigate loss and damage,” PMCJ Senior Energy Officer Larry Pascua said.

On July 18, the Philippine Senate held a public hearing for the fast-tracking of bills that support the development of liquified natural gas (LNG) or fossil gas. PMCJ exposed that these gas bills conflict with PBBM’s Executive Order No. 21 which pushes for the use of RE.

PMCJ insisted that the government must get serious in the implementation of United Nations Sustainable Goals which essentially expresses the fulfillment of economic, social safeguards and requirements for the people to have a decent standard of living. But into the second half of his administration, it just failed as it has not arrested the dwindling growth and an economy that should provide for the majority. The group believes that the government must transform the People's Survival Fund, so that it becomes more accessible, democratic, transparent and can serve the vulnerable sectors of society.

Moreover, Pascua stressed that climate negotiations must compel rich countries and corporations to fully pay for the climate debt they owe for causing climate change and devastating poor and vulnerable countries. As the host of the L&D Fund, PMCJ demands the Philippine government to lead and demonstrate strong political will in making rich polluter countries fulfill their historical, legal, and ethical obligations through delivering adequate climate financial obligations.

“The public has been reeling from the impacts of climate change; yet, no national policy has been passed to declare a national climate emergency. Just like many countries who already put in front and center the phaseout of fossil fuels, policies and programs must rationalize its economic and financial factors with the science of climate, to prepare the people for the extreme impacts and move towards just transition,” Rivera said.

“But we do not expect that the PBBM government will deliver what has been demanded by people to survive and live through this multiple crises. This is the same kind of government that continues with the same policies. Government that pursues the agenda of big business and the elites pursuing the capitalist system of growth. The people must have to wake up and break this cycle of poverty and oppression. The system that has pushed us into oppression and deprivation is the same system that created this climate crisis. We need to change this system for all of us to survive.” RIvera stressed.