An environmental group wants a just transition program as the country shifts to renewable energy amid climate change.
The Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) said in a report that they support the country’s move to shift its energy policy while emphasizing the importance of developing a just transition program.
“A global transition to renewable energy is happening, at any rate like Sweden, Germany, and China where shifts from carbon-intensive energy are transpiring, but it must be made conscientiously so as not to leave anyone behind,” CEED Research Policy and Advocacy officer Arvin Buenaagua said in a report by Philippine Star.
Meanwhile, CEED legal officer Avril de Torres added that the Philippine Green Jobs Acts of 2016 – although enthusiastic – “overlooks workers and coal-affected communities who have served as the backbone of the fossil fuel industry and who are situated to be the backbone of this new, green economy.”
The group added that the government should address transition concerns of workers to prove that they are serious in shifting away from the use of fossil fuel.
“Just transition proponents have said this a number of times: a sustainable energy transition is a just transition. We cannot hope to build a future run by clean energy if we leave behind the very people who have been powering our economy,” De Torres said.