Environmentalists want PH to #BreakFree from coal plants

Coal affected communities and civil society organizations held a lightning rally in front of the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Headquarters in Pasig City last Monday, March 13 calling for the conglomerate to shut down its coal plants in Limay, Bataan and shift to renewable energy.

The rally kicked off Break Free 2017, a series of peaceful community mobilizations across the country, as part of the second global wave of actions against the use of fossil fuel.

“Rich fossil fuel companies like SMC surely have the wherewithal to understand why coal is bad for the planet and for local communities. But these companies choose to pursue profits from fossil fuels instead of truly caring about people’s lives,” said Yeb Saño, Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

“The Bataan community’s struggle symbolizes the global movement of frontline communities and climate impact survivors standing together and resisting greed, to take back their rights to a healthy environment and a viable future,” Saño added.

Joining Greenpeace were contingents from several civil society and environmental organizations, including Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines), Coal Free Bataan Movement, and the Freedom from Debt Coalition.

Climate change in the country, on the other hand, has recently gone in a direction that environmental activists in the country lauded. President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Paris Agreement, which the Senate later concurred. These, however, will not signal the end of activities for Break Free 2017.

 

Source: Rappler, Greenpeace Southeast Asia