Greenpeace Demands Immediate Passage of Philippines’s Renewable Energy Bill

Manila, 3 December 2007–Greenpeace renewed its call for the urgent
passage of the Renewable Energy (RE) bill by the Philippine government,
on the occasion of the opening of the UN climate meeting in Bali.

“The Renewable Energy Bill has been languishing in Congress for more
than a decade. It must be passed now. Congress must ensure that the
country has a strong RE Bill in place that can make a big difference in
catalyzing a shift away from our dependency on fossil fuels paving the
path for the massive uptake of renewable energy. Also, by passing the RE
Bill, the country will take the lead in the region in making voluntary
cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, a step that countries like the United
States have not taken,” said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Climate and
Energy Campaigner Jasper Inventor.

“Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has repeatedly stated that
the Philippines is committed to climate change solutions. But so far
it’s all empty rhetoric and no action–the RE Bill is still pending in
the Energy Committees in both the Upper and Lower House, under Senator
Miriam Santiago and Rep. Mikee Arroyo, respectively.”

The call came as dozens of Greenpeace activists unveiled a giant
thermometer outside the conference venue in Bali to warn delegates to
avoid rising global temperatures from reaching dangerous levels. The
6.7m high thermometer’s message: “Don’t cook the climate!” The
thermometer will remain in the venue for the next two weeks.

“For years, governments have let us, their citizens, down by failing to
get to grips with the problem of climate change. They’ve left us
increasingly exposed to the biggest threat that civilization has ever
faced” said Stephanie Tunmore of Greenpeace International. “In Bali,
governments have to get down to business—and act on the basis of the
alarming scientific findings about climate change that they themselves
approved just two weeks ago (1). That means keeping the planet’s
temperature as far below 2ºC as possible. Millions, especially the
world’s poorest people, are already suffering from climate impacts such
as storms and floods.”

In order to keep temperatures at safe levels, global emissions must peak
by 2015 and then start falling. In real terms, this means industrialized
countries must commit to cut emissions by at least 30 percent by 2020
and at least 80 percent by 2050. Globally, emissions must be halved by
2050. This must happen under the Kyoto Protocol’s second phase, which
comes into force in 2012.