By PR | 08:42 PM November 13, 2023
Representatives of climate-impacted communities, civil society organizations, and local government units of Bohol province gathered to put forward a “Climate Justice People’s Agenda,” in a summit held in this town said a press release from the Greenpeace.
According to the NGO press release, the agenda consolidates the demands and concrete actions from various stakeholders to address various climate impacts experienced by Bohol communities, and the need for accountability from those most responsible for the climate crisis.
The Climate Justice Summit took place as the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior anchored in Cebu Strait near Bohol, to bear witness to island and coastal communities’ experiences of climate change—from slow-onset impacts such as current and imminent sea level rise, to extreme weather events such as more intense typhoons.
Funding for adaptation measures and post-typhoon recovery has been irregular at best, and as climate impacts continue to get worse, communities’ demand for justice from oil, coal and gas companies most responsible for climate change is also growing, the release noted.
“I hope they stop destroying our environment. They must pay for the suffering that we in small islands are experiencing. They must pay us for their irresponsible actions,” said Annie Casquejo, a resident of Batasan Island.
The NGO said civil society organizations that have worked closely with local communities believe that accountability and reparations for climate loss and damage are needed to scale up local solutions and help communities respond more adequately to the current climate reality.
It quoted a recent OneEarth report found that the world’s top fossil fuel companies owe a total of USD 99 trillion (P5.032 quadrillion) in climate loss and damage to compensate communities most affected by the crisis.
Among the solutions eyed to build Bohol province’s adaptive capacity and increase its climate resilience is utilizing renewable energy. A recent report by the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST) highlights how increasing the renewable energy share in Bohol’s energy mix can enhance the province’s capacity to adapt and mitigate disaster impacts.
Greenpeace states that ongoing international climate discussions and the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP28) should put climate-impacted and vulnerable communities’ urgent needs front and center. (Greenpeace Philippines)
