THE CLIMATE REALITY Project Philippines has commended Ozamiz City and South Cotabato province in Mindanao for leading the way towards a healthy and sustainable future.
This, after the City Council of Ozamiz revoked recently its previous resolution favorably endorsing the proposal of Ozamiz Power Generation, Inc. to build a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant. Another resolution was also adopted and approved requesting civil society organizations and residents to look for sources and prospect investors of a cleaner and affordable renewable energy in the city.
In South Cotabato, the Provincial Council rejected June 25 the proposed Lake Sebu large-scale coal mining project of Daguma Agro Minerals, Inc., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation. It was argued that the project violates the environment code of South Cotabato which bans open-pit mining.
Together with other provinces and communities like Masbate, Leyte, Guimaras, Bohol, Ilocos Norte, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and Romblon, Climate Reality Project Philippines said it cannot deny that solutions to the climate crisis are at hand.
It said coal is a dirty fuel – from start to finish – and the process of mining coal also blasts away mountaintops and leaves all kinds of toxic slurry ponds behind. Worldwide, more carbon pollution comes from the burning of coal than any other fuel.
The Climate Reality Project Philippines said it agrees with the report released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) saying that “the Philippine’s financial sector is massively exposed to the imminent stranding of proposed coal plants in the country, which amount to over 10,000 megawatts or $21 billion (P1.05 trillion at P50 to $1)”.
“Prudent reform is required to level the playing field in the energy sector and to hold investors accountable for their own investment errors. The Philippines is heavily but needlessly over-dependent on coal, which is a losing gamble. The entire nation could be locked into two decades of paying for coal power it may not end up using,” said IEEFA energy finance analyst Sara Jane Ahmed, co-author with ICSC energy policy advisor Jose Logarta Jr. of “Carving out Coal in the Philippines: Stranded Coal Plant Assets and the Energy Transition.”
Climate action with genuine political will is an effective tool to level-up, to leave dirty old coal and embrace indigenous renewables. “We recognize their commitment to catalyse a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society in the spirit of fair share and climate justice,” Climate Reality Project Philippines said.
“The Philippines has abundant sources of sustainable energy: geothermal, solar, wind and hydro – in which Filipino resourcefulness, creativity, and intelligence will guarantee a reliable and sustainable smart grid for everyone. It is, indeed, commendable that local governments and communities are acting on the Paris Agreement and sustainable development, as a whole,” it added.
Environmental groups are also monitoring the proposed coal-fired power plant in Zamboanga City by the San Ramon Power, Inc. or SRPI of Alsons Power Group in Talisayan village where locals had previously protested its entry.
They urged the Zamboanga City Council to revoke its permission for SRPI to build the power plant, saying, it will only cause pollution and damage the clean environment and pose health hazards not only to humans, but animals as well.
In other countries, including China and the United States, coal-fired power plants are now being replaced by renewable energy sources, such as sun, wind, ocean waves and other “green” technology that leave no carbon footprints in the environment. (Mindanao Examiner)
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