ENVIRONMENTAL groups on Thursday amplified their call for oil companies to start weaning away from fossil fuel and reiterated their demand for accountability through climate compensation.
The groups, led by Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Philippines, said they have sent demand letters to some of the biggest companies, including Shell, Exxon Mobil, British Petroleum, and Chevron.
“Our communities live with the reality of climate impacts. We feel in our pockets and in our guts, with each climate disaster carving up wounds that will never heal. Despite our suffering, you continue to drill more oil and expand your fossil fuel business,” the letter read.
The groups want the companies to acknowledge their “disproportionate role in historical carbon emissions and commit to a just transition away from fossil fuels.”
“We are not just asking for sustainable practices, we are not just asking for these businesses to change, we are asking them to pay up,” Greenpeace campaigner Jefferson M. Chua said in a media briefing.
An agreement was reached at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2022 to create a fund that will compensate vulnerable countries for “loss and damage” arising from climate disasters.
Jochelle L. Magracia of Young Bataenos Environmental Advocacy Network (YoungBEAN) said fuel-driven activities have affected not just the environment but also the livelihood of communities, such as those in coastal areas.
Citing the latest World Risk Index, the groups said the Philippines has been ranked consistently as a top disaster and climate crisis hotspot. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
