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NANINIWALA ang clean energy think tank na Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), taliwas sa isinusulong ng Filipinas na ‘transisyon sa ganap na paggamit ng nababagong enerhiya’ang pakikipagkasundo ng Japan sa tatlong major firms sa bansa.
Sinabi ito ng CEED kasunod ng pahayag ng Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) na lumagda sila ng memorandum of understanding (MOU) sa tatlong major energy firms para sa rollout ng Japanese-led Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) sa Filipinas.
“AZEC has been repeatedly denounced as a ploy to promote detrimental energy in developing countries in Asia, particularly with fossil gas and unproven fossil-friendly technologies. That critique is affirmed by JBIC’s partnership with the Philippines’ biggest fossil fuel champions. Japan, clearly, is championing gas as ‘bridge fuel’ deception at the cost of the Philippines’ climate ambitions,” ani Gerry Arances, CEED executive director.
Ang SMC, Aboitiz, at MPIC, sa pamamagitan ng power generation arm ng Meralco ay itinutulak ang pagkakaroon ng 23 GW para sa bagong gas-fired power generating facilities na nangangahulugan ng kabuuang 80% porsiyento ng installed capacity.
Ang naturang tatlong kompanya ay nagkasundo rin na bilhin ang kauna-unahang LNG import terminal sa Filipinas na pag-aari ng Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Company na pinopondohan ng JBIC at kasalukuyang sumasailalim sa internal investigation ukol sa environmental violations at community impacts.
“With this development, the Japanese government and, by extension, the Philippine government are revealing a clear lack of commitment to a genuine renewable energy transition. This is unacceptable for a country facing some of the worst impacts of the intensifying climate crisis and where fossil fuel-based power generation is causing death and destruction in vulnerable communities,” dagdag ni Arances.
Paglilinaw ni Arances, “We are a country whose abundant renewable energy resources makes a 100% transition aligned to the 1.5 °C climate goal possible. The focus should be on unlocking this, and not in putting up more gas.”
Matapos ang ilang kasunduan ay binabantayan ng mga clean energy advocates sa Japan at Filipinas ang nalalapit na trilateral meeting ng nabanggit na dalawang bansa kasama ang Estados Unidos na magaganap sa susunod na linggo.
“LNG champions Japan and the US should use the upcoming talks to make amends and ensure the prioritization of renewables in the Philippines and other emerging economies in the region, not gas or false solutions. This trilateral is also a test for the Marcos administration’s commitment to the Philippines’ renewable energy shift,” paglilinaw ni Arances.
“President Marcos entered office with a pledge to make renewable energy its top climate priority, but its execution has so far been half-hearted,” obserbasyon ni Arances.
Ayon kay Arances, ang MOU sa JBIC ay lubhang nakaaalarma lalo na’t kilala ito na nagpo-promote ng fossil fuels.
Ang JBIC ang pinakamalaking pinagkukuhaan ng financing sa fossil gas sa Southeast Asia na nagkakaloob ng 47 porsiyento ng kabuuang fossil gas sa rehiyon.
“Japan keeps saying that LNG is a necessary bridge fuel and Southeast Asia needs it. But the Japanese push for gas is all about Japanese corporate interest,” diin ni Arances.
Ayon kay Hiroki Osada, development finance and environment campaigner ng “Friends of the Earth”, dapat ihinto ng JBIC ang pagpopondo sa paggamit ng gas na lubhang sumisira sa kabuhayan at komunidad.
Sa kabatiran ng madla, ang nababagong enerhiya, ay inuri bilang likas na nababagong mapagkukunan ng enerhiya na zero emissions. Kabilang sa mga nababagong mapagkukunan ng enerhiya ang solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, at biowaste, at karapat-dapat na hydroelectric.
Ang mga proyekto ng enerhiya ay maaaring lumikha ng karagdagang benepisyo sa kapaligiran bukod pa sa pagbabawas sa emisyon, tulad ng mga pollinator-friendly na solar program, o mga benepisyo sa trabaho at ekonomiya, sa pamamagitan ng pagtatayo ng mga bagong proyekto. (NIÑO ACLAN)
