Top polluters na kakasuhan umuusad na

HARD TALK
ni Pilar Mateo

UMUUSAD na ang intensyon para magsampa ng mga kaso sa ICJ o International Court of Justice ang environmental watchdog ng Pilipinas laban sa mga top industrial polluters ng Estados Unidos na umano’y naghahatid ng nakamamatay na epekto sanhi ng mga tinatawag na carbon emissions.

Sa pangunguna ng Pangulo ng CAPMI o Clean Air Philippines Movement, Inc. na si Dr. Leo Olarte, kinuha nito ang atensiyon ng Amerika para sa naturang reklamo.

“We would like to put your country, the United States of America (and other co-defendant countries) an official notice that in six months from this date of notification, our multi-sectoral organization will jointly file a one-trillion dollar ‘loss and damage’ class suit against all of you at the ICJ if you fail to address our legitimate grievances on climate change and human rights that have gravely injured and severely affected our climate-change vulnerable country and its suffering people.”

Ang pormal na sulat o letter of intent ay ipinadala kay US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson na natanggap ng Embahada ng Amerika sa Maynila nitong  Disyembre 29.

‌Ayon pa kay Dr. Olarte, “The purpose of the letter was to provide the US government a formal notice that CAPMI, together with other private sector organizations in the Philippines, will file the class suit “due to all the deadly greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change that is now a worldwide crisis.

“The various private sector organizations that have joined CAPMI in its intention to file the case include the World Youth for Climate Justice, the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters, Luntiang Pangarap (Green Dream) Movement, Kapisanan and Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas Inc., and Mata sa Balota Movement.

“By giving an advisory opinion, the Court can provide the impetus for more ambitious action under the Paris Agreement, provide authoritative baselines for state action on mitigation and international cooperation and assistance, integrate areas of international law that are currently separate, human rights and environmental law, provide impetus and guidance for domestic, regional and international adjudications, and cement consensus on the scientific evidence of climate change,” dagdag pa ng dating Pangulo ng  Philippine Medical Association sa naturang liham.

Marami pang mga bagay ang naihain ng grupo sa nasabing isyu.

Ayon kay Dr. Olarte, ang UN General Assembly ay boboto sa ICJ Climate Resolution for the Advisory Opinion ngayong buwan.

“The link between the climate crisis and human rights is now well established,” he said in the letter of intent. “Climate impacts have been shown to exacerbate pre-existing inequalities and human rights challenges such as poverty, well-being, wealth inequality, gender relations and many others.”

‌Hindi man masasabing carbon polluting country ang Pilipinas, dahil sa share nito ng fossil carbon dioxide emissions o carbon footprint na .35 per cent kompara sa ibang mga bansa isinusulong pa rin ng grupo ang nasabing lawsuit.

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, that are generated by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world.

Nagpaabot na rin ng naturang letter of intent sa mga pamahalaan ng Japan, Germany, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, China and Indonesia ang CAPMI, sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga embahada sa bansa. 

Nawa’y magtagumpay sa kanilang adhikain ang CAPMI!