Greenpeace ship to tour Philippines to amplify call for climate justice

MANILA, Philippines — Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is set to return to the Philippines in November to spotlight the stories of climate-impacted communities and demand reparations from major polluters.

Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Jefferson Chua said Thursday that the return of the Rainbow Warrior after four years serves as a “call to the government to make the biggest polluters accountable.” 

The Greenpeace ship is scheduled to make stops in Tacloban City in Leyte, Salcedo town in Eastern Samar, Bohol Province, and Manila throughout November.

The tour of Rainbow Warrior in the Philippines coincides with the 10th anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the most devastating cyclone to hit the country, and precedes the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

The Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with poor and rural communities bearing the brunt of disasters.

A Pulse Asia survey released this month found that 65% of Filipino adults observed that the impacts of climate change on their communities over the past three years were substantial. The poll also showed that 71% of Filipinos considered climate change to pose a significant threat to both themselves and their families.

Greenpeace will hold adjacent events focusing on the call for climate justice and reparations, urging policymakers to take action on these critical issues.

Rainbow Warrior will also be open to the public for educational tours and exhibits. 

Greenpeace called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s administration to translate their commitments to climate justice into tangible actions.

“That’s really one of the reasons why we’re escalating our campaign to really demand the government [to act] especially now in the era where 1.5 °C is on the verge of overshoot and also escalating damage from climate impacts,” Chua said. 

Climate justice campaigners have been calling for compensation for communities and countries that have been disproportionately affected by climate change, often due to the actions of developed countries with higher carbon emissions. 

A crucial meeting on funding climate “loss and damage” ahead of