#HumanRights #ClimateJustice

The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) reiterates its call for the Department of Energy (DOE) to retract its endorsement of the 169-MW coal power plant expansion in Toledo, Cebu. Groups were alarmed after the DOE recently announced that this expansion project by Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) is exempted from the 2020 coal moratorium.

According to the DOE, projects that were already slated for expansion fall within the provisions of the moratorium. Business leaders in Cebu have also expressed support for the plant, stating that the energy stability and economic benefits outweigh the environmental impacts.

However, this fails to account for the direct negative impacts on the surrounding communities’ health. Lito Vasquez, Public Policy Analyst of PMCJ Visayas, explained, “While the environment may ostensibly recover through offsetting emissions aggressively, a child who grows up exposed to polluted air may carry it with them forever or worse. They say it’s clean coal, but its effects on air quality and health prove that it’s still dirty and deadly.” So far, four formal complaints have been filed against the poor air quality in Toledo.

“Real economic growth doesn’t ignore people getting sick.”

The DOE’s endorsement of the TVI expansion also contradicts the global call to phase out coal. “We’re approaching the deadliest deadline to curb carbon emissions,” said Ian Rivera, National Coordinator of PMCJ. “Phasing out all coal by 2030 is non-negotiable if we want to limit global warming to 1.5C. It is good that we are getting more renewable energy projects, but as long as these coal plants are operating, they will continue to worsen global warming.”

Rivera added: “We cannot add more to what we are already struggling to phase out.” The existing TVI coal plants use the old circulating fluidized bed technology, which is one of the greenhouse gas-emitting technologies that need to be phased out according to the recent agreements at the COP28 in Dubai.

Groups laid out concerns about fossil fuel plants remaining in operation well past 2030 should more projects like the TVI expansion get the green light. In 2023 alone, 17 fossil fuel projects were endorsed for system impact study, alongside 158 renewable energy projects.

Teody Navea, PMCJ Cebu Convenor expressed, “Many Cebuanos are victims and suffered alot when Typhoon Odette made landfall in Cebu. I was one of them. Strong Typhoons are impacts of the climate in crisis. If DOE and Aboitiz TVI insist on building coal, just do not be scared when people start calling you climate criminals.”

PMCJ is calling on the TVI to provide its environmental compliance certificate and to subject it to review by concerned publics. The TVI must also perform due diligence to assure that the health of surrounding communities will not be adversely affected. In the meantime, PMCJ urges the DOE to retract its endorsement until all compliance has been reviewed and the public’s  interests are put first.

FOR INQUIRIES

Raymond Ruedas (mediacommunications@climatejustice.ph) 09274382015