FILIPINO climate campaigners urged the Chinese government to adopt climate resolutions to address the climate crisis and enable the “rapid, just, and equitable transition to renewable energy” amid the Lunar New Year celebration, also commonly referred to as Chinese New Year, on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
Led by Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), the Sanlakas, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), and Oriang Women’s Movement, the groups called on China to stop financing all fossil fuel projects and support the transition to renewable energy systems in developing countries.
“These are the two important actions for climate that China can make happen. It is time for a total shift away from public and commercial overseas energy financing of all fossil fuels - coal, gas and oil - and scale up sustainable, fair and non-debt creating financing for the rapid development of renewable energy systems in Asia,” said Lidy Nacpil, APMDD coordinator.
With a colorful dragon dance show at the Fil-Chinese Friendship Arch in Binondo Manila, the climate campaigners reminded China of the climate pledge President Xi Jinping made two years ago and urged Xi “to push forward with policy changes to phase out all coal investments and support more investments in renewable energy projects, instead of walking back as the country contends with economic crisis and rising fuel prices.”
“China is in a position to provide critical leadership in the rapid development of renewable energy because of its status as a major global producer of solar and wind technologies,” Nacpil said.
“China having some of the highest solar and wind capacity in operation should lead in the technology transfer. It has the potential to make renewable energy accessible to and affordable for people and communities in Asia,” added Ian Rivera, coordinator of PMCJ.
Meanwhile, lawyer Aaron Pedrosa of Sanlakas maintained that China “should take the lead to make possible a fossil fuel-free Asia before 2050.”
“Renewable energy as a core energy source is not just important for energy security, but is key for long-term energy security,” Pedrosa said,
On September 21, 2021, Xi announced at the United Nations General Assembly that “China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.”
Citing a study in 2022, the groups said China's expansions in solar and wind power “have put it on track to hit 3,000 terawatt-hours of clean energy electricity generation - far more than any other country - and lifted the share of clean energy in China's electricity mix to a national record of 31.9 percent.” (SunStar Philippines)