#HumanRights #ClimateJustice

The governor of Albay declared today the province’s commitment to pursuing 100% renewable energy before 2030. Albay Governor Greco “Grex” Lagman also signed a memorandum of understanding with the  Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), formalizing their partnership in working with communities, church, businesses and academe to promote and develop RE in and beyond Albay.

Albay is one of the provinces most frequently hit by devastating storms. Aside from damages on communities and infrastructure, these extreme weather events aggravate the region’s power outage issues and their adverse impact on the local economy. Governor Lagman explained the urgency of developing RE: “We need reliable sources of electricity that do not worsen our climate. Thankfully, Albay has much potential in renewables like solar, wind, and geothermal.”

Lagman detailed plans to survey potential sites in the province and develop a roadmap for RE projects that will benefit the larger population. “We have more than 10 Gigawatts of untapped RE potential, more than enough for Albay’s energy needs. We intend to share this with other provinces and establish Albay as a hub for renewable energy in Luzon. With a long term vision of leadership, good business and investment models, and inclusive development, Albay will ignite an industrial renaissance whose benefits will be shared by the people.”

PMCJ’s Luzon Coordinator Erwin Puhawan shared hopes that this will also inspire local and national government units to act. “We’ve seen the effects of climate change and fossil fuel use in different areas. Some struggle more with heavily polluted air, while others are more vulnerable to storms just like Albay. Regardless, communities suffer. We hope decision makers can follow Albay’s example and adapt a plan to address the climate crisis before their citizens experience the worst.”

“We have spent the last decade on discussions and promises. Now is the time to act,” said Ian Rivera, National Coordinator of PMCJ. “If we have any chance of keeping global warming  below 1.5C, fossil fuel use should peak by 2025 and should ideally be phased out by 2030, making way for renewable energy. Albay’s commitment to 100 % RE before 2030 shows their concern for the people, and aligns with the COP28 agreement of tripling renewables by 2030.

Rivera added: “In the long run, citizens will also enjoy stable and cheaper electricity because RE is not subject to the volatile fossil fuel markets. This will be a game changer for the province. A comparative advantage on energy production will open up the floodgates for investments, jobs and development.”

The governor of Albay declared  climate emergency in the province on October 24, 2023. Lagman urged the local government units of Albay to declare climate emergency at the city and municipal levels, and to develop corresponding programs and policies.

This partnership will endeavor the creation of the province’s RE road map, which will define areas for investment.  The province targets six  months from the MOU signing towards the holding of the RE and Investments Summit which will be attended by local and foreign RE investors and developers.

FOR INQUIRIES

Raymond Ruedas (mediacommunications@climatejustice.ph) 09274382015