Philippines urged to push for fossil fuel phaseout, climate justice at COP28

MANILA, Philippines — As COP28 opens in Dubai Thursday, climate and energy groups are hopeful that the Philippines will lend its voice to the calls for an equitable and swift transition from fossil fuels to renewables, and corporate accountability for climate impacts. 

More than 70,000 delegates are expected to attend the two-week-long climate negotiations in the glitzy Gulf city to push for aid to climate-vulnerable communities and ambitious action to address the consequences of global warming. 

COP28 comes at a pivotal moment, with emissions still on the rise and this year likely to be the hottest on record. 

Groups said the Philippine delegation, led by Environment Secretary Maria Yulo-Loyzaga, should call for the end of fossil fuels to avert the most disastrous impacts of climate change. 

“Putting an end to the Philippines’ push for massive additional fossil fuel use, particularly with gas, is an urgent policy shift that can get us on track to 1.5 degree Celsius-compatibility,” said Avril De Torres, deputy executive director of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development. 

An analysis released this month suggests that the Philippines should end its coal dependency by 2035 and almost entirely phase out gas-fired generation by 2040 to meet the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The power generation in the Philippines heavily relies on fossil fuels, with the country generating 60% of its electricity from coal, a significant contributor to planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. 

The government targets to increase the share of renewables in the energy mix from the current 22% to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040. 

But for John Leo Algo, the national coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas, calling for the fossil fuel phaseout may not be high on the government’s list of priorities.

“It is not surprising, considering the Marcos administration heavily promotes even more use of fossil gas and is intent on growing the mining industry to supposedly support RE development,” he said. 

Yulo-Loyzaga, who also serves as the chairperson-designate of the Climate Change Commission, said the Philippine delegation will engage in seven