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[av_heading heading=’URBAN FARMER | Call for shifting investments to renewable energy mounting’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Wednesday, April 5, 2017
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THE CAMPAIGN against the use of “dirty energy” will be shifting its gear in the following weeks towards challenging the social license of the fossil fuel industry by targeting institutions to divest their investments in dirty energy.
The protesters have said that every institution that divests is adding to the pressure fossil fuel industry is feeling, and eroding the social acceptance and political influence of these companies.
During a recent activity, cause-oriented groups joined residents of coal-affected communities that marched to the office of the Department of Energy in Taguig City to denounce the agency’s continued support for dirty energy under the leadership of Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
“Cusi is the clean energy’s number one enemy in the Philippines,” says Atty. Aaron Pedrosa of the multisectoral alliance Sanlakas.
“Under his watch, coal proponents and companies see the Philippines as a safe haven for dirty energy, even as this dirty, deadly and costly energy source is being globally abandoned by many countries,” Pedrosasaid.
According to the 2017 Boom and Bust Global Pipeline Report, the Philippines is among the 10 hotspots for the construction of new coal projects, a deviation from the trend of shrinking support for coal across the globe.
Pedrosa noted that Cusi’s problematic policy positions extend from coal to other dirty energy sources.
“All available energy options are being considered by Cusi except the right ones, “said Pedrosa, who also heads the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) Energy Working Group.
“The continued engagement of affected citizens is instrumental to changing the world’s energy system,” said Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) Convenor Gerry Arances.
“Last March 20, China has retired its last coal-fired power plant given the public clamour against the environmental cost of coal, reflecting the true status of coal in the global landscape,” he added.
Arances noted that it does not make economic sense for the country to insist on coal and nuclear energy, given the drastic decrease in the cost of renewable energy technology.
“We urge the President and his Cabinet to simply look at the experiences of the community and the real cost of continuing coal operations in the country through an energy audit,” he said.
They are certain that they will find that support for coal at this rate can only be described as addiction.
“Our protest at the Department of Energy is part of the global campaign ‘Break Free From Fossil Fuels,’ demanding governments and corporations to break free from coal and other forms of dirty energy and shift investments to renewable energy.
In the Philippines, from Bataan to Cebu, to Davao, we have stood side-by-side with coal-impacted communities to demand from our government to stop their addiction to coal and prioritize renewables,” said Reuben Muni, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines.
“We stand at the threshold of our collective struggle – where every effort to gain ground matters whether it be on the streets, in the seats of political power, and in the financial sector,” said 350.org campaigner Chuck Baclagon. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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